Help! not sure what to do!

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benA

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Hi all, I live in MN and have two adult P. Pardalis Leopards. All my breeding and hatching happens in-doors. My female laid 4 clutches last year about 33-34 days apart - her first ever. This year she has laid 2 clutches 29 days apart and today marks day 28. Two days ago she started pacing as she usually does when she is getting ready and she even started to try to dig on her enclosure floor. I quickly uncovered her dirt area and she dug for a moment and then moved away. She has been pacing quite a bit over the past day but no more attempting to dig that I have noticed. Here is the thing - I AM GOING OUT OF TOWN FOR THE WEEKEND!! Normally i hire the neighbor boy to feed and water them when we are out of town, but this is beyond his skills. It really is more like midwifing. My female has never found or chosen to dig in the dirt on her own - even when I confine her to that area. She always tries to dig on the plywood floor RIGHT NEXT TO the dirt. Everytime I have had to move her quickly over to the dirt when i find her digging and then eventually after doing this a few times she stays there and digs. I simply have not found a better way yet.

What should i do? I am 95% certain she will not find the dirt on her own and lay eggs. Will she be OK for 3 days in this state? Once she gets the urge to lay eggs, how long can she go before there is trouble? Hours, days, a week? Please pass on advice if you have it - thanks, Ben
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Ben:

If all you have to do is gently lift her off the plywood and place her on the dirt beside the plywood, then I think you're selling your neighbor kid a bit short. He can do that for you. Just tell him that if he sees her trying to dig with her back feet and she's on the plywood, to set her over on the dirt, then to stay there for a while out of sight and make sure she stays on the dirt. Maybe he can keep coming back for a few hours to be sure she stays where she should. Then, ask him to mark the nest somehow so you can find it when you come home. It will probably be ok. And maybe you can ask the kid's parents to keep an eye on the tortoise too for you.
 

benA

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Yes, I think I am selling him a bit short, but the truth is he is short, really short! and he can hardly reach over the top of the enclosure and there is no way without climbing fully into the enclosure that he could do it. but I think you are right, I will have to ask him to do it - climb in that is!, and have his dad check on her as well.

Thanks for your support!
Ben

emysemys said:
Hi Ben:

If all you have to do is gently lift her off the plywood and place her on the dirt beside the plywood, then I think you're selling your neighbor kid a bit short. He can do that for you. Just tell him that if he sees her trying to dig with her back feet and she's on the plywood, to set her over on the dirt, then to stay there for a while out of sight and make sure she stays on the dirt. Maybe he can keep coming back for a few hours to be sure she stays where she should. Then, ask him to mark the nest somehow so you can find it when you come home. It will probably be ok. And maybe you can ask the kid's parents to keep an eye on the tortoise too for you.
 

yagyujubei

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You might try adding some fresh dirt on top of the existing, and let it spill over a bit on all sides. Maybe the smell of the fresh dirt will attract her to the right spot. Also, provide a step stool for "shorty"

Also, maybe give the kid a little extra for his extra vigilant care.
 

benA

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Thanks, will do all of those things!

yagyujubei said:
You might try adding some fresh dirt on top of the existing, and let it spill over a bit on all sides. Maybe the smell of the fresh dirt will attract her to the right spot. Also, provide a step stool for "shorty"

Also, maybe give the kid a little extra for his extra vigilant care.

 

JeffG

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I'm a little confused about what you mean when you say "Even when I confine her to the dirt area, she still tries to dig on the plywood". If she can't get away from the dirt, what choice does she have? She might try to get to the plywood, but my guess is that when she can't, she will dig her nest in the dirt.

I am NOT experienced with this, just offering an observation.
 

yagyujubei

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Ben. Hope everything worked out OK this weekend. Did you come back home to good news?
 

benA

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Came home from the weekend away and no progress, just pacing, no digging - even on the plywood. Gave her a long bath, allowed the male back in, covered the dirt area again, and just watched. Last night, she stayed and paced in sort of a circle right over the plywood that covers her dirt area. I took off the lid again, separated the male, add some water to the dirt and left her for the night. I did not place her on the dirt. Came in this morning and there was evidence that she had dug a little, but it was not cleaned up. Every other time after she lays eggs she cleans all the dirt up real good and puts it all back over the hole. This time there was still small piles of dirt to the sides and a shallow hole. I figured she might have started to dig and then stopped - which she has done before. I dug down and sure enough found 7 eggs! This midwife stuff is really tough - way too much stress!
 
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