Red Eared Slider wants lay egg

[Ben F]

Hello,

I have a RES, Ruby, about five years old, 6 inches long.

Ruby laid one egg in our bath tub one day.

After that Ruby eat again.

We think that there should be more eggs, although I couldn't feel one by the side of her hindleg, so we set up a nesting box for her, and put her in. The first two times she climbed out of the box. After several times, each time several hours, she got used to it.

After a week, Ruby laid another egg in the bath tub again (not in the nesting box).

Yesterday She dug and partly covered herself under soil in the nesting box. Although Some people said not to left her overnight, we found that she was so peaceful and we left her overnight while making sure the nearby soil was wet.

This morning, we found that she was completely buried under the soil. We dug her out, she was clam, and there was no egg. But she seemed didn't want to go back to her water tank.

In the afternoon, we put Ruby back into the nesting box after feeding her. At evening, we found that she completely buried herself under the soil.

Were we doing correctly? Should we wait until she climbed up after buried herself? We worried that she may not get enough oxygen, especially if we spray water on top.

Thanks.

Ben

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ben and welcome!

Has she been with a male?

Quite often water turtles lay their eggs in the water, then they sometimes eat them.

Is the nesting box attached to the swimming area (so that she can get to it by herself)?

 

[Ben F]

Hi Ben and welcome!

Has she been with a male?

Quite often water turtles lay their eggs in the water, then they sometimes eat them.

Is the nesting box attached to the swimming area (so that she can get to it by herself)?

Thanks Yvonne.
No, she is alone all the time for the past five years. Yes she ate partly the eggs. We just want to keep her healthy, not thinking of hatching.
We live in small apartment in Hong Kong city, the nesting box is separated from the water tank.
We are in summer, outdoor temperature is about 80 to 90, we keep our airconditioner at about 73 to 77. She should not be too hot or too cold.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Ben

 

[Markw84]

Ben

Aquatic turtles become quite restless when they need to lay eggs. A female will repeatedly leave the water and wander 100's of meters and sometimes, not try to lay for a few days of doing this. They will often dig a few test holes and abandon them until finally laying their eggs. I've found the restless wandering an important part of their egg-laying routine.

That is why I feel it is hard to keep female aquatic turtles in a tank. I'm not sure there is an easy solution. some put "nest boxes" accessible to them in the tank, but I do not believe that solves the problem even if the turtle does eventually lay in that small area. Their natural inclination is to wander considerably and be very picky about the place they will choose to lay eggs.

Your turtle is digging in and burying herself, not as any part of egg-laying, but because a water turtle, out of water without a place to go will frequently bury themselves for protection. In very hot weather, an aquatic turtle may also choose to bury itself and actually aestivate.

Young females will often not dig proper nests and if not give access to areas to dig "trial nests" they will simply expel eggs into the water. Or in worst scenarios, become egg-bound. That can be lethal.

Is there a way you can give you turtle a secure area she can wander about, with a tub of water available? A place with good dirt or garden area she may find suitable to dig a nest. Sometimes you can even give an aquatic female access to a secure garden, even without a tub of water. Watch her for a few hours.

It can certainly vary, but I would expect a young red-ear that is about 6" long to lay around 5-8 eggs in a first clutch.

 

[Yvonne G]

. . . For example, when my sister becomes aware her tank-bound RES wants to lay eggs, she puts her outside in the box turtle pen.