General Care Discussion :: New here and need some help....

[midnitesun]

I am sure I have seen it posted some where, but I have a question of 2 here...
First of all I found out that my boy turtle is a girl.. adn second of all it keeps getting out of it's tank, or at least trying....
I have noticed large lumps around it's hind legs, so I put it in a box with soil in it just in case she was ready to lay eggs...
Now my question is... How long do I leave her there, adn do I need to put a light over her for heat and such??? Also, should i keep her on the same diet, turtle food, fish, and veggies while she is in the other box... And also what about water.. should I put a dish in there just for water, or make it big enough for her to play in......
HELP... Thanks, Michelle

[megcornell]

Here's a link to the info on reproduction, it should help clarify what the nest area should be like.
http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html
As for diet, you should keep feeding the normal diet, but keep in mind that sometimes gravid turtles lose their appetite. Do not feed her in the box, turtles need to eat in water.
Any water dish you add will likely be spilled, you can mist her every once in a while, but she shouldn't dehydrate after only a few hours.

[midnitesun]

Also what about the lighting... Do I need to have some sort of light over or at least around the box..... I would hate for her to get too cold......
Also I am thinking of setting up my garden tub for a temp. home, until I can get a bigger tank, or make her outside garden... what do you think??

[TheComputerGremlin]

If it's okay to take her outside (most of us who have winter and snow right now use a tub with soil/sand mix), she might be best suited to be outside. Leave her in the tub for 4-8 hours, but only when you're around or if the tub has high enough edges to not allow for escape. I think some people add their heat lamp, just make sure there's a place she can escape to cooler temps, like a shady spot. Sometimes I think it takes a few days in the soil for them to lay because they might not feel safe. I wouldn't recommend trying to make a half soil/half water tank, but once she lays her eggs, you can use that tub as an alternate home or buy another large tub for a temporary home. You can use those tanks for awhile, I think, depends on the amount of water in it and damage caused to it by the turtle.

[midnitesun]

OK.. so today when I got up and checked on her, I found her buried under the soil... She had half her shell down to her tail covered... But Ididn't want to move her to check for any eggs, so I picked up the box and all and set her outside in my garden area.... ( I am making a rose garden and have the walls around it bulid, so if she can get out, she can't go far..... ) I am a little worried about her... She hasn't moved for that spot in about 24 hours and she looks sad... How much longer should I wait????? The good thing is that today it will be in the 70's so being cold will not be a problem here..LOL... I wish I could send some up North for all of you too

[industrial_girl_2000]

Heck, if your weather is already that warm, I would find an open farmer's field and take her wandering for a few hours. RES's don't necessarily lay eggs just because we provide them a box of soil, and that can be very frustrating for us owners who just want them to get it over with, LOL.

I recall a guy in Poland who had an RES who told us that taking his gravid RES wandering in a farmer's field (get permission first) was the only way he could get his RES to lay her eggs. He then destroyed the eggs when she was done (they have an overpopulation of RES's in Poland).

[midnitesun]

Well I have 11 acres here so that would be now problem to let her wonder around some.. the sad part id that we have wild dogs around and they love to chase and eat anything.... ... I have been letting her run around my flower beds.. I have 1 foot walls around so she can't get out of it....