Could my tortoise be pregnant

[mr. tort lover95]

Hello. I recently bought a female tortoise. I beleive she is a russian. She is about 4-5 inches. She has been digging constanly but she didnt have enough bedding to make a burough so I gave her more and she now has dug a borough under her water dish. She sleeps in her hiding log but spends most of her day in the burough. Can she be preparing for eggs?

 

[Saleama]

Not a chance! However, she could be gravid. They can carry sperm for a long time and actually lay fertile eggs for a few years after mating. I don't know how long Russians can hold it but some box turtles can go up to three years! How is she digging? If she is digging with her back legs then it is possible she is wanting to lay eggs. Digging with her front legs she is just trying to make a burrow.

 

[mr. tort lover95]

The reason I thought this is because she was housed with two males at the pet store. She is digging with both. She has made more than one but the on that she spends most time in she digs with front and back but when she goes in she goes in backwards.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think she's big enough yet to be gravid, but I might be wrong. Females are usually more like 6" in a straight line from front to back before they are breeding age.

At any rate, when they dig a nest they do so with their back legs.

Most Russian tortoises love to bury themselves.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

She may be looking for moisture or coolness. What are your temps & humidity levels like?

 

[mr. tort lover95]

My temps are at 94 in the hot side and 77 in the cool side. My humidity is in the 50 % range