General Care Discussion :: HELP! All symptoms of being gravid....BUT

[camee1991]

NO feeling of EGGS!!!

Tobi girl is almost 10"long and 8" wide... weighs almost 5 pounds and is 4 years old and never has laid or been gravid before. (I check everytime she runs around the house.) She has also never "had" a male before. (Thank goodness) Already have enough pets at the moment!

BUT, I dont understand what is going on? My girl has been swimming HARD..not eating as much...KICKING everything in the tank (worse than normal "remodeling")...chewing her fake plants in half (which she has NEVER done) and BASKING TONS and OMG today I turned around and she was sitting up with front feet on TOP of the side of the TANK looking with her 3 inch neck up and around like "What's up?"! I think she was about to "SCRAM"! She has NEVER even acted as if she has wanted out!!!! (Yes..I have since fixed the sides of her basking area with tall cardboard sides, so she cant get back up on the side.)

(This has been happening for the last week or so and WORSE behavior the last 2 days)

What does this sound like?! Is it possible she IS gravid and her eggs are just in the "growing" stage, and I cant feel them yet? I pushed in pretty deep in front of her hind legs and felt nothing.

She is otherwise, swimming steadily, not breathing funny or doing anything that makes me think R.I.

Does anyone have any ideas?! This is sorta freakin me out. I feel like she is a baby and I have to keep my eyes on her 24/7 or she will "do something bad"..lol But really...HELP!

[steve]

It sounds like it. Does she react to you when she is showing these symptoms? Her eggs could be real small and the only way to confirm if she was gravid is with an x-ray.

[camee1991]

Oh crap! I thought you could always "feel" the eggs!!! But YES she does react when I walk up to her tank. She stops what she is doing and comes to me.

For the last couple months she has also been "fluttering" to her reflection in the back of the tank ALOT too. Which is wierd...but she does it!

Do you think there would be a possibility of her eggs growing? What I mean is that when they become gravid...they must have to start "small" then grow..right? Do they have these symptoms throughout? If so, maybe she is just in the beginning stages...?!

[steve]

Well, when they are gravid and want out, that means they want to lay them. Can you take her outside? My RES liked to nest after it rained when the ground was softer... I think it was partly instinctive. The eggs will get bigger, but she could also lay them when they are small.

My RES had these symptoms last winter and wouldn't nest in the tub I setup for her. She eventually laid them in the water.

[camee1991]

Yeah, I can take her outside. She loves to dig out there. We havent been out for a few weeks. She would like that.

How long should we stay out there...like for her to "do her thing"..or should this be a daily thing..same time..and stuff? I do NOT want her impacted!

I keep looking round' the tank checking for eggs...or something but not yet.

When your RES had these symptoms and eventually laid...did you feel them and also how long did the whole process take from the ACT to the laying part?! If you dont mind sharing...

[steve]

As soon as my girl was showing the frantic digging/swimming, I took her out. She found a spot in a few minutes and went to work. Spookster had made an outdoor pen but his turtle had no interest in it.

If she laid them in the tank, she could have eaten them and there might not be much evidence in there.

I was able to feel them but not everytime she has laid them. The first time she made a nest, it took her about 4 hours I think.. the second time was quicker. There should be a topic on this... I'll see if i can find it.

[camee1991]

Thanks Steve! This is so much help. Wow...I thought it would take days and days not just hours to lay.

Maybe she IS eating them...and why she is acting not as hungry...heck I dunno. I watch her almost ALL day. Only when Im sleeping I dont. (Or if I leave an hour or so) She may be sneaky!

[steve]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=33575

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=33576

[camee1991]

Steve...I have one more ?....
When your res laid eggs in the water...was there ANY unusual smell or film on the water?

Twice now lately..there has been a strange odor in her tank...I clean it and have an XP3 (80 gall tank) and there has been a strange smell...kinda like fresh outdoor minty leaves (if you ever smelled em) AND there has in the last few days been a oily residue on the top of the water. I feed her in tank...but she eats pellets only..nothing oily. She is picky and hates lettuce...only eats CRAP if I let her...

Any experience with this?

And thanx...Im checking out the topics now!!!

[steve]

There was no odor and there should be none noticeable. On one occasion an egg was found intact, a different occasion had only very small bits shell and some yolk trapped under the basking area.

[camee1991]

The topics were good info! Thanks for those!

As for the odor and film?! I dunno..... Guess I need to do a full cleaning again. (only been 3 weeks darnit)

I guess we will be finding a place outside later to see if she is interested...
Will she need water and shade since it is like 110 degrees here? I know I WILL! lol

[steve]

I think it can be loose stools causing the film.

If it is too hot when she is nesting, you can try to give her some shade. Once they start, they get into this zone and ignore everything around them. Pretty amazing to watch but don't disturb her.

[camee1991]

Well she has like normal people stools...so it isnt that...not sure.

I will lead her to shade and see what happens! Im excited! Maybe Ill have some pix soon to post!!!

Thanks TONS!

(Off to bed!)