General Care Discussion :: Turtle pregnancy

[RES4ever]

I think my turtle Sandy is pregnant. She seems moody and has been eating more than usual. She also looks bloated. I read that this could be due to her retaining water. I think I can feel small eggs inside her when I feel infront of her hind legs. (I'm almost positive.)

Whenever I see her she is huder the basking platform just kind of sitting there watching me.

Is there anyway to tell for sure if she is pregnant that I don't already know or some way to know how long before she lays them??

She is exactly 6" long.
Thanks!

[SpotsMama]

A vet can x-ray her and then you'd know for sure. Usually people say when their girls are ready to lay they get very agitated, not quiet.

[RES4ever]

Well... she is kind of both. I didn't want to say 'cause I thought you'd write it off as aggression but she has threatened the guys when they slider off the basking platform and she is terratorial (Sp?) over that spot under the basking platform. It's almost as if she is garding it.

X-ray... I'll see what I can do, but I'd like to be more sure before I pay for an x-ray.

[Take-One]

If your turtles mated then she has a high chance of having eggs. She probaly does.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Whether she's mated or not, she could be carrying eggs. Do you know how old she is? 6", she's probably getting close to that time.

Try placing her in a nesting area for a few hours a day to get her comfortable with the area for when she's ready. If she starts digging, she probably has eggs ready to lay.

I think an X-ray is the only definite way to tell if she's got eggs (unless you feel them). But if you get her in a nesting area, that can resolve the issue before X-rays are needed.