Monitoring nest digging

[kimber_lee_314]

I'm home today (I'm usually at work this time of day) and three of my turtles/tortoises are laying eggs. I'm wondering how many nests I never knew existed because I wasn't here to witness the nesting. (I have had surprise box turtle hatchlings emerge, but never any tortoises.) Mine do such a good job of hiding the nests that I wouldn't know they're there if I hadn't seen them dug. I'm curious as to what others do when they are at work? How do you know if eggs have been laid when you aren't home?

 

[Millerlite]

I always can tell when they plan to lay from they way they -act. Also a lot of mine lay in the evenings. I'm sure I missed a nest or two tho

 

[diamondbp]

during laying season for my tortoises I check their "rear ends" for dirt and signs of nesting. I guess it depends mainly on what species you are talking about and what substrate they are laying in. In Louisiana the mud always sticks to the females rear ends so its pretty easier to tell when someone dug a nest

 

[biochemnerd808]

Life is so busy right now that I can't stalk my tortoises all day to see if anyone is nesting. I caught my Timmy digging her nests, mainly because it was rainy for the first clutch, so she was inside. She laid a second clutch outside, and I observed her dig the nest. Then a few weeks later I noticed her vent and tail looking 'stretched out' and wet again, just like it always does when she laid... but I couldn't find her nest anywhere. She did such a good job hiding it. So either at some point tiny babies will surprise us, coming out of the soil, or nothing will happen.