General Care Discussion :: Turtles mating and laying eggs at 2 1/2 years old

[X-Factor]

I have some painted turtles that are only 2 1/2 years old (I bought them when they were hatchlings no bigger than a quarter in 2009).

the largest turtle is now about 5 inches in shell length. She laid 2 fertile eggs with yellow yolk in the center in the water a month ago, one last week and one just yesterday but she ate it afterward. I didn't save any of the eggs since all 4 of them were laid in water.

I set up a soil box container to put her in but she never seemed interested in laying any eggs and seemed very uncomfortable in there.

There is a dry dock in the tank but she never uses it to lay eggs and she always lays them in the water.
Is it unusual for turtles to be doing this at not even 3 years old?

[michaelg]

Sexual maturity depends more on size than age. 5 inches is about right for reaching sexual maturity. If you can let her safely roam around outside in the grass, she may find a more suitable place to lay them and hopefully lay all that she has.

-Michael

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Like Michaelg said. Its more about size then age. 5 inches is certainly big enough for laying since depending on painted species adult females only get to be 5-6inches all their life so you got a big adult.

[SquidSox]

Like Michaelg said. Its more about size then age. 5 inches is certainly big enough for laying since depending on painted species adult females only get to be 5-6inches all their life so you got a big adult.

the full scl of a painted turtle actually depends on the sub species in eastern painteds females usually get about 7-8" while the males get about 5 or 6" they are actually the largest of the painteds

[Diamondbacks4Life]

I think you mean Western Painted. They are the largest sub species. I think Xfactor has Easterns or at least he wanted them so i figured its Easterns. They get 6inches max.