New eggs

[goochestortoise]

Found this app last night after searching how to care for the eggs I just found in my Russian tortoise pen. No where did it say to just leave them be. What do these tortoises do in the wild? I'm sure there are no incubators plugged into a cactus. I wasn't even trying to breed them. I've had them for 5 years and this is their first clutch. I've ordered an incubator but I'm not sure if I'm too late since I don't know exactly when they were laid. It may also be a while to the incubator comes in. They are currently under my reef aquarium where it is warm and humid but it is not the 85-89 degrees suggested incubating temp. Any suggestions???

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi goochestortoise:

The reason we pull the eggs and place them into an incubator is for the eggs' protection. You certainly may leave them in the ground, if you think they will be safe there. I'm thinking, though, that because you found them "under the cactus" that they probably were NOT in a nice, safe, covered hole, but rather were on top of the ground. In that case, they would quickly be eaten by marauding creatures or birds...even ants.

Your eggs should be ok until you get the incubator. Just don't turn them. Once the embryo starts to grow, the egg must maintain the same position and not be turned.

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

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[tortadise]

Welcome!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Jacob]

Welcome to the forum...

 

[goochestortoise]

Joined 2 weeks ago

My son has 2 Russian tortoises that he's had since 2nd grade. Now going into high school. They are Shelly and Dibby. They laid eggs for the first time ever which is what prompted me to research and I found this forum.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

RE: Joined 2 weeks ago

 

[NudistApple]

RE: Joined 2 weeks ago

Welcome to the forum! It is surprising that Shelly and Dibby are able to live together. Russians are notoriously aggressive with one another, or so I have heard.

 

[dmarcus]

RE: Joined 2 weeks ago

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[goochestortoise]

Well I only read recently that they should be kept apart because the male harasses the female. The male was AWOL all winter when he escaped last year. That's probably why they had eggs. I may be incubating for nothing since I also read that the first batch is infertile.

 

[Zamric]

Welcome to the Forum!