General Care Discussion :: VIDEO! Lucy Tortuga Lays Eggs.

[Lucky and Lucy Tortuga]

Hi All, my turtle laid some eggs! check out the video on youtube. I'm so thankful that I didnt have to take her to vet. I just went up the street to a church and let her roam around for a spot in a rose bush planter. It worked out wonderfully. The whole process took 2 and a half hours. I tried to get some decent shots without disturbing her.... check it out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71MTEDD_v5g

[Daniel3507]

haha. i love the music. good looking turtle too.

[yterron]

But how did you know that it was the right time? Tell me exactly how you knew and all... pls and thanks!

[Lucky and Lucy Tortuga]

haha. i love the music. good looking turtle too.

thanks!!

[Lucky and Lucy Tortuga]

But how did you know that it was the right time? Tell me exactly how you knew and all... pls and thanks!

well I knew it was the right time because every spring for the last 3 years she gets SUPER restless in their tank. She climbs up on the sunning shelf and tries to get out of the tank - which she can't but that doesnt stop her from trying. After about a week or so you can feel in the pocket just in front of her hind legs VERY CAREFULLY and actually feel the eggs. It apparently takes time before the eggs detach from the uterus so in this case I had 3 false starts over a period of about a week. I actually had brought her out the day before and she tried digging a hole but the ground was too firm where she dug. She gave up and I had to go to work so I put her back in the tank. The next day she saw me and started splashing and jumping around in the water to get my attention. I could see it in here eyes that she was more than ready and almost as soon as I brought her back to the planter she ran off to a better spot and started digging.

I learned a lot from these message boards BTW. Thanks to this website and wikipedia for all the info. When female RES get to be about 5 or 6 years old they start having eggs. In years past I took her to the vet to have the eggs induced but that gets expensive. This year she had one clutch naturally and then for the second clutch about a month later I had to take her to the vet because I was going out of town and didnt want her to be upset while my friend was feeding her and LUCKY. Going to the vet cost $150. When I realized she was having yet another clutch I decided to try to have them naturally again. That takes time (it took 2 and a half hours) and be sure not to be seen hovering over them while they are having their eggs. She seemed to be in a trance though once she started.... I can't tell you who good I feel that she did it. I love my little WUCKOS.

[RES4ever]

I think the music is so cool. My Sandy gives me the same look when I wrap her in the towel. Lol!

[Lucky and Lucy Tortuga]

I think the music is so cool. My Sandy gives me the same look when I wrap her in the towel. Lol!

hhahaha yeah my LUCY gets a little mad faced for a bit when I wrap her in a towel but it's funny how quickly she forgets to be mad. I have to put her in a towel because sometimes she pees!


Its funny but I think we've developed a bond together. She seems to know that I am helping her out with her eggs and such. I love those guys so much. The only problem I am facing right now is the tank is getting too small - and it's a 200 gallon tank! someday I will have a house and I will build them a raccoon proof pond. so right now they are cramped but good times are a coming for these lil wuckos.

[yterron]

Ahhh... the way you talk about your turtle sounds so special... you're an extremely fortunate granny!!!!

[Daniel3507]

a 200 gallon tank?? i wish i had a tank that big

[turtlelover818]

omg cute

[Azfar]

Woww.. she so big~! Congrats for the new babies soon~! =P

[SpotsMama]

Ahhh - how lovely! Her back legs are a marvel, so carefully burying the eggs to keep them safe.

[Lucky and Lucy Tortuga]

Ahhh - how lovely! Her back legs are a marvel, so carefully burying the eggs to keep them safe.

She was soooo meticulous when it came time to cover up the eggs! when she was done you literally could not tell there was anything going on.

I don't think there will be babies. I'm pretty sure that my turtles do not mate. but you never know.... perhaps I should go back and destroy the eggs just in case? if they are fertile I read somewhere it would take 45 days?

[steve]

Way to go Lucy! If you have a male + female, definitely go back and destroy the eggs.

[TheComputerGremlin]

That's an excellent educational video. And yeah, whether or not you think they are mating, I would always destroy the eggs (you can boil them like chicken eggs in water for a few minutes and then crack them open, or just crack them open from the get-go) just in case a few hatch and start wandering around your back yard. If you separate the female and male, the frequency of her laying eggs should decrease over time.