General Care Discussion :: on my last nerve

[missibsu]

So here is my latest. Penelope is 4 yrs old this summer and now over 6 inches long. I'm pretty sure that she is gravid. She had been doing the frantic digging and trying to get out of the tank, which I tried to ignore. I'm not ready for my baby to grow up. I'm fairly certain that I feel the eggs, but seeing as this is a first, not 100%. I have tried taking her in the garden, I have tried a nesting box. Nothing. She has been out of the tank for 3 days now and I worry about that. I have been putting her in for about an hour in the mornings so she can eat and such. I have added extra cuttle bone to the tank which she devours.

So, how long do I need to wait, I have no patience. M schedule doesn't allow me to leave her outside for more than an hour or so. Between two jobs about an hour is all we can manage. She doesn't even attempt to dig when she is outside. She has dug in the corner of the box, but with her front feet and she goes head first into the hole like she wants to hibernate. That prompted giving her the heat light and now all she is doing is basking on top of the dirt. What gives? Is it possible that she really isn't gravid? Not far enough along? This is the first that she has ever displayed the begging to get out of the tank, so I took the signs seriously.

[MoreBloodWine]

Depending on your setup you could do an above tank nest area. I dont know where the links went that I saw but I saw some great examples that people used for situations similar as yours. It basically allows the turtle to come out of water like it would to bask but in this cast to dig a nest.

[jozzep]

I hear ya.......It can be frustrating.If this his her first clutch, she just might end up dumping it in the water or on the basking area.
MoreBloodWine's suggestion is the right one, but most people don't have the room or the time to build such an area.Just keep trying what you're doing if you can't offer a nesting area,and see if you find eggs or shells in the water.

[missibsu]

My turtles have a room entirely to themselves. I thought about turning her loose in the room and shutting the doors. Other than the tank and one chair she would be free to roam the whole room. However, I can't fill the whole room with dirt, so her actual nesting area wouldn't be any bigger. I don't know if this would end up causing more stress in the long run, or help her feel more at ease.

An above tank nesting area is out of the question. I have seen them, but I am not that handy. I have also heard that tracking the dirt back and forth can make the tank nasty really quick. There is also the issue of Peter, and I don't want him to have access up there, bothering her while trying to do her thing.

[Kemul]

One of the members here, Novroz, has a first-time gravid turtle. She tried setting
up a nesting area, leaving the turtle outdoor with dirt and sand to dig, etc. In the
end, the turtle laid an egg on the floor in the house.

Check out her thread if you haven't. Perhaps it'll give you some ideas.

[bigG]

The first couple of times my female RES was gravid, I took her outside and she dug a few spots for a nest but never laid eggs. Then, after bringing her inside, she laid an egg(s) and quickly snapped they up. She is so well "trained" that she will only eat and go to the bathroom in her tank. She has laid egg(s) several times now but insists on "laying" them in the tank.

[theartbook35]

Have you tried snake bedding in the nesting box? That is usually a winner.

[steve]

Wait for her to show signs of wanting to nest, then immediately take to a nesting area. I've found that my girl likes to nest in the mornings, after some rain.

I don't think leaving her in a nesting box would automatically work and there are few success stories. I do think they have a preference as to when and where, so keep an eye out for that. And hi, where've ya been?

[missibsu]

Thanks Steve! I have put her back in the tank. She has been considerably calmer. Maybe I was just jumping the gun?

Been busy as usual. Working two jobs, keeping a house of my own, and dealing with a husband who spends the majority of the time on the computer playing world of warcraft. So, my time is limited to mornings on the computer and if I am not working, I'm usually in bed too. Thanks for the input!