General Care Discussion :: egg?

[Erica&spikey]

When should i begin to worry about my girls having eggs. Spikey is about 6 inches and i've checked here 2 weeks ago...no eggs. And the small one is 4 and half inches. When do should i check the smaller one? And how often do i need to check?

[SpotsMama]

Here's all I know about it - my guy's a boy:

http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html

Looks like your big one is in the egg zone now and the little one's close.

[DavidY]

Will females always lay eggs whether bred or not, or is it just a possibility?

[Tenodera]

I've read that females will always need to lay eggs, fertilized or not.

[myrtle1123]

My turt is a girl will that mean she will lay eggs without a mate..

if so how old would she be?

[SpotsMama]

Yes, Emily, you'll need to be prepared for your little girl to lay eggs some day, even without a mate. Kind of like a chicken. if there's no mate they'll be infertile.

Check that link above. It has info on size and age.

[Hoooneylynn]

you really shouldnt have to physically check for eggs, just recognize the symptoms... they usually include loss of appetite, trying desperately to get out of the tank, and Ive even read excessive basking... Im worried about eggs too, my girl has never had eggs, but she has an appetite!! So I think I'll know somethings up if she loses that!

[steve]

The presence of a male turtle will greatly increase/influence the frequency of egg laying

[DavidY]

ha ha!

[myrtle1123]

How old are they usually when they lay eggs?

[Erica&spikey]

lol well the spikey (the bigger one) is an escape artist.....she really just loves walking around the house so she is always tryin to get out. I will keep on eye on their behavior and just checkin them when they start acting wierd.

[Hoooneylynn]

No one really knows the age of their turtle when they have eggs, unless they have owned them since they were a hatchling... Its about the inches... I believe turts can lay eggs at about 4 inches and up.

[myrtle1123]

okay thanks... I have to go measure my turtle because i am not quite sure how big she is

[steve]

My female was about 3 yrs and about 6" SCL. She was overfed a bit when she was young, so she was a bit larger than I would have liked.

[Hoooneylynn]

And if "she" isnt four inches yet, she might not be a "she" after all! males can grow long claws right before they hit four inches, but if it is REALLY close, then Im sure you have a girl...