Our three-toed laid her first egg last night. How do we know if she needs to lay more? What can/should we do to help her if she needs to lay? Anything else we should consider? This is her first time and we just want to make sure we do the right things to take care of her.
She laid an egg - now what?
- Thread starter cmaury127
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Did she dig a nest or lay it on top of the soil? Is she living inside or out?
It's more than likely not good. Does she have a deep enough place where she can dig a nest a few inches deep?
Box turtles dig holes in the ground that are deeper than the turtle's back leg is long. So if the back leg is about 3" long, the hole will be about 4" deep. Then she will deposit 4, sometimes 5 eggs in the hole and cover it all up with dirt.
Since your turtle only pooped out one egg, the conditions were not right for her to be able to dig a nesting hole. Now you may run the risk of her becoming egg bound. Can you put her outside for a bit so she can dig in the actual dirt? In a safe place where she can't escape the yard?
USUALLY eggs laid on top of the ground aren't fertile.
Since your turtle only pooped out one egg, the conditions were not right for her to be able to dig a nesting hole. Now you may run the risk of her becoming egg bound. Can you put her outside for a bit so she can dig in the actual dirt? In a safe place where she can't escape the yard?
USUALLY eggs laid on top of the ground aren't fertile.
We did add plenty of additional substrate today....she has places ranging from 6 inches deep to as much as 9-10 inches deep where she can dig if she wants. And it is pretty moist and a good temp. So I think we are on the right track for providing an appropriate place for her to finish laying any eggs.
We really don't have an outside option that would be safe at this point.
We really don't have an outside option that would be safe at this point.
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