What is this I've found in the enclosure? Urgent!

[K-9]

What is this I've found in the enclosure?

Last Sunday, my Russian Tortoise laid a fully formed (fertile, i assume) egg which we are now incubating for her. Half hour ago, I found this white, jelly-like discharge lying in the soil. It's quite sticky and I'm starting to think it's an egg that isn't fully formed, although it's quite hard to believe given the size (approx 3.5 inch in length) and the fact it has a perfectly formed circular opening (almost like a mouth, as seen on the right hand side of the attached photo). I'm a little concerned, is this normal? Is this something she is expected to produce post-parturition? It's actually similar in appearance to a witchetty grub!
Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[Yvonne G]

Ugh! It looks like a worm (parasite), doesn't it? I've had eggs without shells before, and they look like an egg with no shell. The albumen is clear and the yolk is yolk. I haven't a clue what that is. It doesn't look like urates either.

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I had to GOOGLE wittchety grubs and ewh! I'm sorry I did.

 

[SulcataSquirt]

I wish i could help you, Id really like to know what this is also...

 

[sheenaschlytter]

looks like a worm to me too

 

[N2TORTS]

it does look like a grub of some sort .....possible "Japanese beetle" aka : Popillia japonica.
JD~

 

[Weda737]

looks too mucusy to be a grub, but that circle thing is alarming. Very parasitic looking, is it solid or can you smear it?

 

[Laura]

cut it open.. see waht it is.. maybe its two eggs hooked together.. she getting plenty of calcium?

 

[JoeImhof]

RE: What is this I've found in the enclosure?

I've never seen that.

However, last year my Russian got all gravid and acting ready to lay, but then, after some weeks, she just let out a yolk, no shell or anything just a yolk.

So stuff like that does happen. Dont know if its a similar situation to what you have here or not.

 

[Ashliewood]

Oh my goodness that is so strange looking I can't stop looking at it.

 

[K-9]

Thanks for all your replies.
We took 'the thing' to someone who lives close to us (happens to be a vet with a fair knowledge about reptiles). He says he's never seen it before, but doesn't think it has come from the tortoise. He says it doesn't look like any part of the torotise anatomy and is pretty certain it isn't a tapeworm. He thinks maybe it is a slug of some sorts, but doesn't think it's been digested by the tortoise and has just found it's way into the substrate! Even still, he's not too sure 'a slug' is the correct diagnosis for it. I'm taking them to a proper tortoise vets this week anyway to get them checked over, so we will present them with the object and see what he/she says!