Hingeback laying problems

[Riverhorse]

I have a 14 year old Forest Hingeback , probably a Homes or an Erosa.
Pearl laid an egg when she was younger with a previous owner.

She often swishes her tail in the substrate, Forest Floor and Peat.
For the last week she stopped sleeping in her hiding space and sleeps out in her habitat under a heat lamp and under some foliage. She has strained for two day pushing her back legs into the substrate. Today she spent 8 hours on top of 6 inches of substrate lifting her back legs out and up. Is she trying to lay eggs? or is something stuck in her intestine?
She pooped two days ago, so I think it is not her intestine. But she seems exhausted now, and she is still and her tail is not extended. Does it take days for them to lay eggs, or hours?
is it usually difficult for them? Thanks for any light you can shed.

 

[Jacqui]

Is she still eating? Acting restless or just laying around doing the leg thing?

Plus if you post pictures, we could probably tell you what type you have.

 

[Riverhorse]

Is she still eating? Acting restless or just laying around doing the leg thing?

Plus if you post pictures, we could probably tell you what type you have.

She was extremely restless about 4 days ago. She wasn't too interested in eating for 3 days.

Last night she just lay there near her water dish (off of the mound of substrate) and didn't move anything.

This morning she stood by her food dish and ate everything on her plate. I gave her extra food because she stayed there.

Today she is not digging or lifting her legs. Instead she is sitting, off the mound behind a plant like she normally does, but her head is tucked way inside. And usually it is resting outside.

I have a movie of her diggingif there is a way to upload it?

 

[Yvonne G]

She might be having trouble getting the egg out. You can soak her in warm water daily and keep her at the edge of the light so she stays warm. Best thing for an egg that won't come out is to keep mama warm.

 

[Riverhorse]

She might be having trouble getting the egg out. You can soak her in warm water daily and keep her at the edge of the light so she stays warm. Best thing for an egg that won't come out is to keep mama warm.

Okay, thanks. I will.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

Hope she is okay, and that you get a few eggs! good luck

 

[Riverhorse]

Thanks. Tortoises don't die trying to lay eggs right?

She is not moving but her tail is full and she is not on the substrate. She is in a part of the enclosure that only has bark.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes they can die from being egg bound. If you think this is the problem you need to take her to a vet ASAP.

 

[Riverhorse]

Yes they can die from being egg bound. If you think this is the problem you need to take her to a vet ASAP.

I just looked under the substrate and there is an egg! It's the size of a ping pong ball. Although I haven't seen the whole thing.

I put Pearl in her soaking dish in warm water. I guess she is just exhausted.

Do you think there is more than one egg?

I know they aren't fertile because she doesn't have company.

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Yes they can die from being egg bound. If you think this is the problem you need to take her to a vet ASAP.

I just looked under the substrate and there is an egg! It's the size of a ping pong ball. Although I haven't seen the whole thing.

I put Pearl in her soaking dish in warm water. I guess she is just exhausted.

Do you think there is more than one egg?

I know they aren't fertile because she doesn't have company.

She also seems to have shallow breathing probably because it was hard to pass?

 

[Itort]

One egg is probably it. I have had both birds and reptiles lay eggs with no contact with a male. I would try to get some extra calcium in her ( perhaps give her a cuttlebone). By the way, she is a Homes and a fine looking one.

 

[Riverhorse]

Okay. She has shallow breathing, is that normal after laying?

 

[dmarcus]

You do know that tortoises can retain sperm for a long time. If she was mated before you got her, there is a possibility that the egg may be fertile.

 

[Riverhorse]

I didn't know that. Thankfully I know she wasn't mated. How do you think she would react if I introduced her to a male for mating.

 

[Itort]

Do you have access to an established male ? Why I say this is recently imported hinges carry a great risk of disease and parasites. I would suggest for now let her rest and recover from her ordeal (and it was).

 

[Riverhorse]

I thought it was illegal to import Hingebacks because they are threatened.

She is on her 3rd plate of food today. I am loading it with calcium. Hope I am not overfeeding her. Only had her a year but I have never seen her this hungry. Is there a risk of overfeeding her? I think she earned it but I don't want to give her a stomach ache.

 

[Jacqui]

I thought it was illegal to import Hingebacks because they are threatened.

She is on her 3rd plate of food today. I am loading it with calcium. Hope I am not overfeeding her. Only had her a year but I have never seen her this hungry. Is there a risk of overfeeding her? I think she earned it but I don't want to give her a stomach ache.

Hingebacks can be imported. Bells are not allowed due to a possible tick issue, not to their numbers in the wild.

If she is wanting to eat, let her.

---

She looks like a nice one!

 

[gargoileddie]

Congrats on the egg

 

[Riverhorse]

She laid not one, not two, not three but four eggs!!!!



Thanks to you all for your helpful, supportive words. She's asleep in her hiding hole now..

 

[Jacqui]

You are going to try incubating them, even if you don't think she was with a male, right?

 

[Riverhorse]

You are going to try incubating them, even if you don't think she was with a male, right?

We weren't going to...would there be a reason to?