I truly do have a leopard tortoise factory.
I'm caring for a friend's leopard tortoise. Mary retired from being a zoo keeper in the reptile section of our zoo, and moved an hour away and into an apartment - quite a few years ago. She left her tortoise, Tortellini, in my care.
Two nights ago, as I was doing my laps around the pasture, over the fence in the leopard yard I saw Tortellini making a nest. She was at the farthest corner of the yard, and about 100' or so away from the nearest electrical outlet, and right out in the open. When I looked into the hole she was preparing, it looked about ready for the eggs to be deposited, however, it was almost dark and no hope for me to be able to set up something around and over her to keep her warm enough to lay those eggs. So I picked her up and moved her to the shed.
The following morning there were egg shells from two eggs on the floor of the shed. We've been having some real nice days here, but the nights are getting down into the high 30s, low 40s.
Today, when I was taking my turn around the pasture, I again saw Tortellini at a nest in their yard. But this time, she was covering up the nest. Thank goodness!
I pulled her away from the nest and put her in the shed, then got a spoon and a bowl and proceeded to pick up eggs. Counting the two broken ones in the shed, there were 21 eggs. This is way more than normal for this tortoise. She's a nice sized tortoise, a real beauty, but she lays pretty small eggs. Here's Tortellini:
And here's her 19 eggs, next to one of the eggs from the other female I have who is younger than her:
I'm caring for a friend's leopard tortoise. Mary retired from being a zoo keeper in the reptile section of our zoo, and moved an hour away and into an apartment - quite a few years ago. She left her tortoise, Tortellini, in my care.
Two nights ago, as I was doing my laps around the pasture, over the fence in the leopard yard I saw Tortellini making a nest. She was at the farthest corner of the yard, and about 100' or so away from the nearest electrical outlet, and right out in the open. When I looked into the hole she was preparing, it looked about ready for the eggs to be deposited, however, it was almost dark and no hope for me to be able to set up something around and over her to keep her warm enough to lay those eggs. So I picked her up and moved her to the shed.
The following morning there were egg shells from two eggs on the floor of the shed. We've been having some real nice days here, but the nights are getting down into the high 30s, low 40s.
Today, when I was taking my turn around the pasture, I again saw Tortellini at a nest in their yard. But this time, she was covering up the nest. Thank goodness!
I pulled her away from the nest and put her in the shed, then got a spoon and a bowl and proceeded to pick up eggs. Counting the two broken ones in the shed, there were 21 eggs. This is way more than normal for this tortoise. She's a nice sized tortoise, a real beauty, but she lays pretty small eggs. Here's Tortellini:
And here's her 19 eggs, next to one of the eggs from the other female I have who is younger than her:
