Box Turtle Egg - prolonged incubation

[Ferretinmyshoes]

One of my females dropped a single egg without digging a hole (they're outdoors in Texas) and I've been incubating it. The male has mated with all 3 of the females so I assume it's fertile, but don't know which female it was that laid it. I've always had a box turtle colony but we don't try to breed them so whatever happens happens. The egg has been incubating high 70s-low 80s in moist vermiculite and still looks white, plump and healthy for an incubating egg. Here's the kicker: it was laid August 2012, which is now more than 6 months ago. That's a lot longer than box turtle incubation should be! But I don't ever throw eggs away until they go bad. In November I candled it and saw a small blood vessel (and now my mom has the egg in Texas while I'm in Colorado so I can't candle it again any time soon). Can it really take this long to hatch, or for an infertile egg to go bad?

 

[earthyman71]

interesting! the longest i've ever incubated 3 toed eggs and had them hatch was 152 days (which must be some kind of record lol!). little dudes hatched healthy w great shells.

boxie eggs should, i think, on average take about 56 days or so (depending on temps, humidity, etc.). visit www.aboxturtle.com for more details.

the tell tale signs for fertility of an egg that i've experienced outside of candling and blood vessels and a dark spot that gets bigger inside the egg is a thick white band that develops around it.

don't know if i've been much help!