She just ate her egg???

[Yellow Turtle01]

I was just on my computer, which is right by where all the turtles live, and I was watching my femaleRESswim about, when she stated eating something, and it was an EGG???? It has to be hers, too , I men, she lives alone! I've never never seen her do this before, or with my YBS either?? Did she just eat her own child? The last clutch wasn't fertile (as much to my breeding inexperience I judged as close as as possible) but who's saying this egg wasn't?? Is this going to hurt her??

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I have no idea where to put this either!!

 

[Yvonne G]

It's quite common for a female turtle to poop out eggs that can't be put into a nest on land. Most of the time that eggs are pooped out in the water they aren't fertile. Eating them is a good way for her to recycle the calcium from the shell and to get some protein from the egg.

 

[kathyth]

Wow! I have no experiemce with this. I would not imagine that it would hurt her.
Yuck!!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

It's quite common for a female turtle to poop out eggs that can't be put into a nest on land. Most of the time that eggs are pooped out in the water they aren't fertile. Eating them is a good way for her to recycle the calcium from the shell and to get some protein from the egg.

So it wasn't fertile and she's not a cannibal? She has nesting site to dig, my females are are living alone in their nesting tubs from before right now!! The sharp pieces won't hurt, then ??

 

[Moozillion]

I was just on my computer, which is right by where all the turtles live, and I was watching my femaleRESswim about, when she stated eating something, and it was an EGG???? It has to be hers, too , I men, she lives alone! I've never never seen her do this before, or with my YBS either?? Did she just eat her own child? The last clutch wasn't fertile (as much to my breeding inexperience I judged as close as as possible) but who's saying this egg wasn't?? Is this going to hurt her??

Oh MY!!!! What a shock that must have been for you- I would have freaked out!

 

[Yvonne G]

No. Actually the egg is pretty soft after sitting in the water a while. Even if she dug it out of the dirt the shell wouldn't hurt her.

 

[tortadise]

My Redfoots will do this. Specifically the males and other females kept in groups, I have only witnessed it once. But very similar incident. Eggs are good protein and calcium.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

My Redfoots will do this. Specifically the males and other females kept in groups, I have only witnessed it once. But very similar incident. Eggs are good protein and calcium.

Even if they are fertile?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Oh MY!!!! What a shock that must have been for you- I would have freaked out!

I did! It was one of those moment when you know what it i, but you are really hoping it's not that...they have their reasons, I guess.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

No. Actually the egg is pretty soft after sitting in the water a while. Even if she dug it out of the dirt the shell wouldn't hurt her.

Whew. Does she need more calium in her diet, then? She has a cuttle bone.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

But don't worry Res are cannibal s 12-13 years ago I missed a nest and when I cleaned the pond I found 2-3 baby Res or at least the shells . Sliders aren't hard to feed if it moves it's food


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[Yellow Turtle01]

But don't worry Res are cannibal s 12-13 years ago I missed a nest and when I cleaned the pond I found 2-3 baby Res or at least the shells . Sliders aren't hard to feed if it moves it's food


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I think I just ended up worrying more! Could it have been a racoon or a possum? I highly doubt an adult RES could have the maneuvering skills the get all the *gag meat and stuff out of the shell???

 

[tortadise]

Even if they are fertile?

Yep. They don't know the difference. Tortoises that is. Somehow aquatic turtles do. The smartest of them all is sea turtles. When I go down to playa ballena in Costa Rica each year. We will find eggs washed up on shore. The females will dispense infertile eggs in the water. Somehow they know if they're infertile or not. I didn't witness it but a tagged female was dispensing an infertile clutch a few hundred feet beyond shore. The biologist canoed out and checked on her and got her tag. Two weeks later she came ashore and laid a clutch and those hatched out and were released. So she knew which ones were fertile and which weren't. Was quite an amazing piece of research to hear of. Eggs have been collected in these incidences(dispersed in the water) and never hatched.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Wow! That' pretty awesome! Kind of an intentional drowning Maybe it' because tortoise don't have the option of laying on landvswater for both infertile and fertile eggs... So my girl would not have eaten it if it was fertile? And really nothing bad can come of this, except a little calcium boost?

 

[phebe121]

O man im sorry i dont think it will hurt her my quail do the same if i leave the eggs on there and there fertile eggs

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Well while we are on this subject torts look for the best place to lay their eggs . Right ! Well if the eggs haven't hatched and it's time to lay more eggs they will dig up the older nest breaking the eggs and laying the new eggs on top of the old .
And as far as eating the live baby's they are just clams with legs moving through the water . But that's Mother Nature not the turtles fault .


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[Ciri]

My female desert box turtle will try to eat her eggs if she lays them on the surface of the ground instead of underground in a nest. Normally she should be laying them several inches below the surface of the ground. However, when she is dissatisfied with the places I give her to lay her eggs, she won't dig a nest but will instead lay them on the ground. Then she usually tries to eat them, but as the egg yolk and egg white leak out, she usually loses interest. (The eggs look like chicken eggs inside.) According to my reptile veterinarian who has had to answer at least 1 million questions about my turtles/tortoise, it's best if they don't eat the egg. Females get rid of the excess fat in their system by producing eggs. If they eat too many eggs, or don't lay eggs it can cause health problems. My female desert box turtle got sick when I didn't let her mate with a male (so she didn't lay eggs). Once I let her mate with a male, she produced eggs and the health issue cleared up.

For my box turtles I have let one baby live with its mom for the first year or two. At no time has the mother tried to eat the young. But these are box turtles, so are different than aquatics.

 

[N2TORTS]

My Redfoots will do this. Specifically the males and other females kept in groups, I have only witnessed it once. But very similar incident. Eggs are good protein and calcium.

Great Thread and perfect timing ....I was going to start a thread about cannibalism. I would bet if one of the young hatchlings were to ground emerge some of my bigger reds would eat it . As far as the eggs ....your spot on Kelly......Here from the other night an cracked egg that was found while digging up the others- For testing- I put it front of both different Red's of mine. Both the Male Cherry and the Hypo Redfoot Male had no problems going straight for it and taking a bite......


I'm interested to hear what others have experienced.....so If ya see this post later on ...

 

[Moozillion]

Great Thread and perfect timing ....I was going to start a thread about cannibalism. I would bet if one of the young hatchlings were to ground emerge some of my bigger reds would eat it . As far as the eggs ....your spot on Kelly......Here from the other night an cracked egg that was found while digging up the others- For testing- I put it front of both different Red's of mine. Both the Male Cherry and the Hypo Redfoot Male had no problems going straight for it and taking a bite......


I'm interested to hear what others have experienced.....so If ya see this post later on ...

Oh, ICK!!!