Egg questions

[HeatherN]

I have a female western hingeback that I aquired about a year ago.I know she is at least 14 years old.She recently started laying eggs, although unfertile as I have no male.She will drop one or two eggs at a time and then about a moth or so later repeat the same process.I believe she has laid a total of seven in the last three months.She does not seem to dig a nest, I find them randomly in her enclosure,even in her soaking bowl.Is it normal for them to continue to lay eggs over that lenght of time? Should I be concerned about extra calcium(more than the normal calcium supplimentaation she gets)?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I know that some tortoises can store sperm for some years after breeding. Does that come into play with her maybe? I only sometimes breed box turtles, but I thought that might be relevant to your question, maybe.

 

[HeatherN]

Thanks but she was a single tortoise for at least 13 years.I know that unfertile females can lay eggs , but I am concerned about how long this is going on and how healthy this is for her.

 

[tortadise]

Well heather. Ounce a female gets into her cycle of developing follicles and producing eggs. She will continue to do so. Tortoises are creatures of habit. They are programmed to survive. Whether or not a male has bred with her. She is initiating her natural cycle of life, which is eat, drink, and survive. Think of it as a much longer process of menstruation in mammals. The female ovulates and during that time is when the egg(non shelled) is fertilized and becomes a baby person, dog, or elephant. With reptiles, it happens in different cycles. For most tortoises and turtles this only happens a few times a year.

 

[HeatherN]

Good point.Thanks for putting it into perspective.

 

[tortadise]

No problem. Where are you located at? Can be tough finding Nogyuei here(USA) especially males. But you could always post an ad on king snake or fauna looking for one. If your in the UK member flintus could help you out with finding one over there.

 

[HeatherN]

I am from upstate NY, USA. I would love to get her into a breeding program.I will have to look into it.Thanks!

 

[tortadise]

That's a good idea. We have some down here and work with the TSA, especially with Kinixys species, trying to establish more captive populations of this species, since they aren't allowed to be imported anymore. Which is a good thing in my opinion.