Dead eggs...

[shellfreak]

Cleaned some dead eggs up to make room in the incubator. Gave them back to the turtles...good source of calcium.

 

[dmmj]

I know it's not, but it just feels wrong for some reason.

 

[wellington]

I thought the same thing. But when you see the pics and how enthusiastic they seem to be eating them, well, it still seems wrong, but nice to see them so happy.

 

[tinkerbell1189]

I know this sounds stupid... But do they know the eggs are dead? They wouldn't have ate them if they were alive would they?

 

[dmmj]

Yes they would,let me tell you a story. someone who had a colony of box turtles,they had a nesting area in their enclosure where the females like to nest.One year they noticed no box turtles being born (natural incubation in the ground), but there was this male patrolling the area day after day.After awhile of no babies being born, they once again saw the male patrolling, they goes over see him stop and eat a baby just come up out of the ground.The male box wasn't patrolling,he was eating all the young babies he could gobble up,reptiles have no family type relations like mammals,anything smaller then them, is a potential food source.

 

[Kim444]

Yes they would,let me tell you a story. someone who had a colony of box turtles,they had a nesting area in their enclosure where the females like to nest.One year they noticed no box turtles being born (natural incubation in the ground), but there was this male patrolling the area day after day.After awhile of no babies being born, they once again saw the male patrolling, they goes over see him stop and eat a baby just come up out of the ground.The male box wasn't patrolling,he was eating all the young babies he could gobble up,reptiles have no family type relations like mammals,anything smaller then them, is a potential food source.

 

[tinkerbell1189]

Oh wow, I didn't know that. So is it usually just males, or would females too?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Glitch

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Sorry for glitch

Hatchlings have been known to eat each other's tails and toes. They like live food & they're hungry.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Sorry for glitch

Hatchlings have been known to eat each other's tails and toes. They like live food & they're hungry.

Well that just made me super nervous for my five hatchlings coming in August. Guess I'll be checking frequently for all appendages.

I agree with those guys though...know it's not, but it just looks wrong.

 

[shellfreak]

One year i tried natural incubation due to the over whelming amount of eggs. And September came and no babies. I dug up the egg sites. Empty shells. So I just assumed the adults ate the hatchlings as they surfaced. Box turtles eat anything. I've been feeding rotten turtle eggs to my box turtles for years now...

 

[IBeenEasy]

I know it's not, but it just feels wrong for some reason.

lollll

 

[Saleama]

Well that just made me super nervous for my five hatchlings coming in August. Guess I'll be checking frequently for all appendages.

I agree with those guys though...know it's not, but it just looks wrong.

I have never had a problem with babies eating each other or biting. I did have one nip another's foot when the cricket he was attacking suddenly moved, but he let go as soon as he realized it wasn't the cricket.

 

[StarSapphire22]

I have never had a problem with babies eating each other or biting. I did have one nip another's foot when the cricket he was attacking suddenly moved, but he let go as soon as he realized it wasn't the cricket.

That makes me feel a little better!