7 RT eggs from my favorite female!

biochemnerd808

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Woohoo, my favorite female has laid 7 eggs over the last 6 weeks. First 1 HUGE one, then 2 clutches of 3 eggs each, 2.5 weeks apart. 1 clutch was laid in a hole she dug in a cat littler pan full of soil, 1 was laid in a nice outdoor nest hole in the tort garden.

DSC_5537 - Copy.JPG (I used coco coir as substrate for the first clutch of 3 because I didn't have vermiculite on hand)

They have all chalked over, but I haven't candled, since I am determined to just leave them alone and wait and see.

They are incubating at 89 degrees - aiming for females.

On a side note, I found last year that temps fluctuated quite a bit when I relied just on the dial-style thermostat of the Hovabator. This year I attached a Hydrofarm thermostat to the system, and the temperatures are MUCH more stable. I piled quilts around the edges of the incubator and placed 2 containers of water in there, as well. :)

Keeping my fingers crossed for babies!
 
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mike taylor

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Very cool more cb tortoises .
 

Tom

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Wow! What a great haul. I hope they all hatch for you. She must be tired and hungry now. :)
 

biochemnerd808

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Thanks folks. We'll see in 60-100 days, right? :)

@Tom, she has mostly been hungry, not really tired. She is eating weeds all day long and is eating cuttlefish bones as if they were candy. Obviously she needs the calcium. I can tell by her tail that making the eggs has taken a lot of her fat reserves. However, she remains the first tortoise up in the morning, patrolling the tortoise yard, and she is up about 2 hours after the others dig in for the night, walking around and eating. She has always been like this.

Here she is, queen of the yard:
DSC_5892 - Copy.JPGDSC_5898 - Copy.JPG

I'm keeping my male away from her for a few months, to give her some space. The silly boy continues to ignore the other females, even the ones bigger than this one. I realize she may have stored some sperm and might continue laying... for her own sake I hope she takes a break!

Tom said:
Wow! What a great haul. I hope they all hatch for you. She must be tired and hungry now. :)
 
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biochemnerd808

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UPDATE: the egg laid right after hibernation looks to be a dud - no development. The 3 eggs laid on March 22nd have veins (candled without touching the eggs when I was topping off the water in the containers). The 3 eggs laid on April 7 have chalked over - still too early to see anything, and I think I'll just wait and see who hatches. :)
 

bouaboua

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Sweet, Congrats!!!!!!
 

Tom

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Great news! Russians reproduce so slowly, relatively speaking, that every new baby is a victory. I can't wait to see baby pics.
 

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