Female Pardalis Pardalis won't lay eggs

Chicobeaks

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
36
Hello,
I have a 5 year old female Pardalis Pardalis that won't lay her eggs. She's never been introduced to a male but she has a 14 eggs according to the xrays. She's been digging but has not deposited her clutch yet. My concern is that we have pretty rocky soil so she can't get a nest dug deep enough.

How deep of a nest would a 13" tortoise need to dig to successfully lay her clutch of eggs?

My plan is to confine her to a smaller area and bring in some top soil so that she can finally dig her nest. Anyone else have any ideas to help this along?

Thanks!
 

Chicobeaks

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
36
I've attached the xray. Looks like she might have a rock in there as well.

IMG_4466.jpg
 

tortadise

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
9,560
Location (City and/or State)
Tropical South Texas
Best thing to do is spray the enclosure and soften the soil. Moving her would cause stress and initiate her to feel threatened and possibly hold the eggs in. Which would be very bad. Also confining her would be do the same as well. I would leave her in the same enclosure she has been digging in and spray the soil
To soften. You can also add some soil like peat moss and dig up the dirt and mix it in for a softer substrate for her. Remember it's very early in the spring for South Africa right now. So unless you know precisely when the eggs developed she may be still a few weeks to a month away from wanting to lay. But that's doubtful since she is already trying to dig a nest.
 

Chicobeaks

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
36
Best thing to do is spray the enclosure and soften the soil. Moving her would cause stress and initiate her to feel threatened and possibly hold the eggs in. Which would be very bad. Also confining her would be do the same as well. I would leave her in the same enclosure she has been digging in and spray the soil
To soften. You can also add some soil like peat moss and dig up the dirt and mix it in for a softer substrate for her. Remember it's very early in the spring for South Africa right now. So unless you know precisely when the eggs developed she may be still a few weeks to a month away from wanting to lay. But that's doubtful since she is already trying to dig a nest.

I understand the issues of stress and moving her. I have a somewhat unique situation up here regarding soil.

Her living area right now is about 10ft x 50ft. Our soil is very rocky (lava cap). You get about 6"-8" down and hit rock. Not really conducive to digging a nest. My plan is to dig out an area in her old 8ft x 8ft enclosure and build up the diggable soil to about 12"-18". Hopefully she will lay there. Running against the clock as the cool weather is starting to hit us in Northern California. She has an insulated, heated box for the cool days. Just want give her an area to get the eggs out sooner rather than later.
 
Top