I need some info! (nesting??)

[Karebear123]

Hello! My female leopard tortoise just started digging a hole with her back legs. I read that’s what they do when they are about to lay eggs. In the event she lays eggs what exactly do I need to do. Please give me names of exact products I need to buy. I’ve never done this before and everything I’ve looked up is so dang confusing. Thank you so much for all you guys do!!! Saving me from having a heart attack lol

I know I need to get an incubator but what brands and types should I get? And anything else I would need to know to make this successful!and one more thing if she lays the eggs today or tomorrow more than likely it will take the supplies a few days to arrive what can I do with the eggs in the meantime

 

[wellington]

@Tom can help you.

 

[Tom]

Hello! My female leopard tortoise just started digging a hole with her back legs. I read that’s what they do when they are about to lay eggs. In the event she lays eggs what exactly do I need to do. Please give me names of exact products I need to buy. I’ve never done this before and everything I’ve looked up is so dang confusing. Thank you so much for all you guys do!!! Saving me from having a heart attack lol

I know I need to get an incubator but what brands and types should I get? And anything else I would need to know to make this successful!and one more thing if she lays the eggs today or tomorrow more than likely it will take the supplies a few days to arrive what can I do with the eggs in the meantime

You can find cheap incubators at Tractor Supply and sometimes at local feed stores. Or order one online. Hovabtor and Little Giant both work well. The eggs can stay in the ground while you get it all set up ad dialed in.

Here is all the info and questions are welcome:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

You can check on with with before buying if you are worried about specific products!

 

[Karebear123]

You can find cheap incubators at Tractor Supply and sometimes at local feed stores. Or order one online. Hovabtor and Little Giant both work well. The eggs can stay in the ground while you get it all set up ad dialed in.

Here is all the info and questions are welcome:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much for this info! She didn’t lay any eggs last night even though she was in that spot digging with her back legs for hours, and tons of liquid maybe pee kept coming out of her. I live in southern Arizona and our ground is a mixture of clay and rocks she wasn’t able to dig very deep at all so I’m worried that may be an issue. Is there anything I can do to help her? Maybe dig a few holes and fill them with potting soil so she’ll be able to dig into them? My mom and dad had the tortoises at their house the last few years and they said last year when she laid eggs she did it in her pond was that because she was struggling to dig a hole?

 

[wellington]

Thank you so much for this info! She didn’t lay any eggs last night even though she was in that spot digging with her back legs for hours, and tons of liquid maybe pee kept coming out of her. I live in southern Arizona and our ground is a mixture of clay and rocks she wasn’t able to dig very deep at all so I’m worried that may be an issue. Is there anything I can do to help her? Maybe dig a few holes and fill them with potting soil so she’ll be able to dig into them? My mom and dad had the tortoises at their house the last few years and they said last year when she laid eggs she did it in her pond was that because she was struggling to dig a hole?

Leopards dig about 12 inches deep. They do pee in it to help loosen and to add moisture/humidity when the eggs are laid
She may have been digging a test hole, however, I don't remember mine peeing in them and they never dug them very deep.
I would keep a close eye on her to be sure she isn't egg bound.
Maybe you could wet the ground to make it easier for her to dig. Digging holes yourself will not guarantee she will dig in those spots.
Possibly blocking off a smaller an area that has sun and shade and amending the ground in that area will help her.
My soil is black dirt under the grass/weeds and then clay also. My girls never had a problem digging, however, I'm not in hot AZ where the ground is likely much harder/dryer than mine.

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much for this info! She didn’t lay any eggs last night even though she was in that spot digging with her back legs for hours, and tons of liquid maybe pee kept coming out of her. I live in southern Arizona and our ground is a mixture of clay and rocks she wasn’t able to dig very deep at all so I’m worried that may be an issue. Is there anything I can do to help her? Maybe dig a few holes and fill them with potting soil so she’ll be able to dig into them? My mom and dad had the tortoises at their house the last few years and they said last year when she laid eggs she did it in her pond was that because she was struggling to dig a hole?

As a generality, they have no problem digging in very hard dry dirt areas. There are areas of my ranch that are like concrete. The ground is so hard that hitting it with a pick ax generates sparks but little to no penetration. The tortoises have no problem digging nests in those areas.

Having said that, I can't just assume that your ground is identical. I use an electric shovel, essentially a jack hammer with a spade bit, to cut through my hard dirt when I need to plant something or make a hole. Perhaps you could buy or rent something like that and break up the dirt in a few large areas? It wouldn't hurt anything.

Also, they do empty their bladder in this process, so I would soak the tortoise every day or every other day for a while before and after egg laying. Being hydrated also helps them get the eggs out. Also wet her food, and offer some foods with high water content like spineless opuntia pads or cucumber.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Also, they do empty their bladder in this process, so I would soak the tortoise every day or every other day for a while before and after egg laying. Being hydrated also helps them get the eggs out. Also wet her food, and offer some foods with high water content like spineless opuntia pads or cucumber.

Tom is providing some important info here! Make sure to avoid dehydration

 

[Karebear123]

Tom is providing some important info here! Make sure to avoid dehydration

She layed her eggs! I had to help her dig the hole a little but it was a success! I have a few remaining questions

First I saw in the info you gave be about incubation to get an incubator and a plastic shoe box (cut hole is it) and place it with the vermiculite mixture into the incubator but all the incubators I’m finding I don’t think are large enough to fit a plastic shoebox inside.

Secondly once I get the incubator and everything is set up what are the temps and humidity level it should be kept at? TIA

 

[Karebear123]

She layed her eggs! I had to help her dig the hole a little but it was a success! I have a few remaining questions

First I saw in the info you gave be about incubation to get an incubator and a plastic shoe box (cut hole is it) and place it with the vermiculite mixture into the incubator but all the incubators I’m finding I don’t think are large enough to fit a plastic shoebox inside.

Secondly once I get the incubator and everything is set up what are the temps and humidity level it should be kept at? TIA

And I know you guys recommended keeping the eggs in the ground till I had everything set up. They are almost a ft underground which is good but it will be about 105° today will they be okay still?

 

[Karebear123]

And I know you guys recommended keeping the eggs in the ground till I had everything set up. They are almost a ft underground which is good but it will be about 105° today will they be okay still?

She layed her eggs! I had to help her dig the hole a little but it was a success! I have a few remaining questions

First I saw in the info you gave be about incubation to get an incubator and a plastic shoe box (cut hole is it) and place it with the vermiculite mixture into the incubator but all the incubators I’m finding I don’t think are large enough to fit a plastic shoebox inside.

Secondly once I get the incubator and everything is set up what are the temps and humidity level it should be kept at? TIA

Also I ended up with the reptibator it is definitely big enough to fit a shoe box or 2 in there. I just placed my order with chewy. So hopefully it should be here in the next couple days!!