General Care Discussion :: Nesting Site Temperature?

[Pizza]

The grass is frozen outside at the moment, even though the snow from last week has melted away, lol. But if what you say is true with the below 50F thing, I'll try as soon as conditions outside improve.

So they can dig on grass well? I don't have any dirt areas at all in my yard, all of those areas have been covered by grass or with a plastic lining from a few years back, :S

She already has turned over 4-5 times these past 2 days, hence the urination in the tub, . I think she's the last female of mine to get eggs through, my oldest is over 16 years old (and quite bulky, both size and shell alike, 6.8 pounds @ 10.75" SCL).

At this point, I don't know if these eggs are fertile or not, there's also a mature male living with us (7 inches) and constantly (well everytime he sees her in the water) chases/flutters at this particular female, but so far, it looks like she has rejected him every time.

[camee1991]

My girl has always laid in grass and I wet it..you could use warm water to help with that. Her holes are always back leg length deep. (pretty long) She always finds the soil. She just sniffs her way everytime to THE PLACE she wants. Hope your girl will do the same!

[FLhaven4strays]

Perhaps a very silly suggestion, but when you said sand / dirt was pricy right now.....would maybe clumping uncented kitty litter be any good (or cheaper)? Like I said, I know NOTHING about the pros / cons of this, just popped into my head.

[camee1991]

I doubt that Tamara...also..too easy to eat and get impacted. If her RES hasnt laid in sand/dirt mixture yet...it most likely wont.

[Pizza]

Good luck of fate that you're here with experience in this matter the same time of year I'm experiencing it,

[camee1991]

Things happen for a reason

[Pizza]

You think it's suitable if tomorrow the temps outside will be between 19-35F? I

I had to do a little converting, the system here in Canada is all in C, except my thermostat and pocket thermometer which were manufactured in the US,

[camee1991]

If there is not snow on the ground and you have some warm water to wet the ground underneath...I wouldnt see it as a problem. Just watch her ALL the time. I always pull up a chair with a drink, cell phone, camera and whatnots. And if it is VERY cold...she may let you drape a blanket over her back...ONLY and if after she finds her nesting spot. You will know when she finds it. She may walk and walk...then BAM..she stays. And thats that. Other than that. I wouldnt worry...unless the whole start to finish is a long long time. But still. she will be aware, but trance like (when she lays) and you will be able to get very very close, just dont touch her or move her once she finds her spot, cause that may cause her to walk away and forget it for that day.

Once she is done laying she will want to cover the eggs....you dont have to let her..especially since it will be so cold.... so just pick her up in a towel and bring her inside and if it is warm...let her knead on a towel or something until she is done. If you dont want to do that you can automatically put her under warm water under the sink...to clean her and it will pull her out of the trance also. Then back into the tank.

Be sure LOTS of cuttlebone, and FOOD!

[Pizza]

Ty for the advice, much appreciated.

I found it funny when you said not to touch her once she's found the spot or else she will forget it for the day, makes it sound like turtles are clueless or simpletons,

[camee1991]

YW....and not simpletons...just very very specific!

[Pizza]

Hehe, well my example would be my largest female, she's such a pig she could down half a can of pellets if allowed, even after a meal she begs for more.

Nearly everytime I drop pellets into my tank she gets all frenzied and starts splashing the water so hard, staring only at the can of food, but not realizing her head is already completely surrounded with floating pellets, even ones touching her mouth. Only when I move the can out of sight does she realize the food is already there.

They're quite smart when it comes to evasion though. Since none of them like being handled, whenever I pick one up and out of the tank, the other 3 quickly sink to the bottom and won't surface until I've been out of sight for a few minutes. Even after then, as soon as I return they submerge themselves again,

[camee1991]

HAHA My girl does that exact thing! She would eat allllll day if I let her! She weighs almost 4 pounds! lol But my baby is very skittish...hence the name scatter...thats what he/she does when Im around. He is getting better though. And Tobi has always LOVED being held. Unless she wants to walk really bad..then I get some pretty nasty scratches!
We actually held the baby tonite and he was STILL for once. It was cool. I think he/she is actually coming around.

They are all soooo different. But sounds like our big girls are pretty much alike in a lot of ways!

[Pizza]

I wish my turtles liked being held. The pregnant one here is the pansy one of the bunch, whenever touched or picked up, she just retreats into her shell and won't open up. The other three scratch as hard as they can until released, urination and waste excretion is also common, so I always have to position the temporary container next to the tank.

The sinking thing gets old real fast, in fact I got annoyed the first time it happened. Since I don't have an hour everytime to sit and fish my turtles out, if they don't get halfway up within a few minutes, I get a large fish net and scoop them out, or grab them at the bottom (depending on how dirty the water is). They're certainly disgruntled afterwards, but better to have a clean tank, and they forget within minutes that it ever happened .

My largest female is overweight perhaps, 6.5 pounds (well 6 pounds, 8 ounces), her shell is somewhat strange in that it is arched with two smaller domes across the whole shell (I don't think it's pyramiding, as it isn't for certain scutes and is very even). I'll try to find a picture.

[camee1991]

Sounds like your babies are very very scared to be picked up and should only be picked up only if necessary, hence the pee and poo....scatter is like that and I have only taken him out of tank for cleanings and only 3 other times and tonite was the only time he didnt POO on everyone. So...things are looking up.

And it does sound like your biggun is overweight. Can she fit her whole body into her shell? If she can its ok. Other than that, sounds like she was fed too much in the beginning of life for a while and her shell grew too fast. Not much to do now, just feed according to size of actual head size even though she will beg and plead; dont give up. And if you dont already...feed her and the others the red leaf lettuce (keep trying if they dont like it..they will eventually come around) and other veges named in the site. Since they can eat and eat and put on no weight with it. Tobi hated it until after her last egg laying then she dove into it so fast and gobbled it up! It was nuts! She had always ignored it, pushed it down and stuff. Now she cannot get enough! lol

RES are picky little creatures arent they?! lol

[Pizza]

Well on my diet, I feed them every 3 days, And yeah, she can fit in her shell, but it looks awkward as her front inner body bulges out when she does so.

Anyways, found two pics (well I took these two and a bunch back in August), note this is not the pregnant one mentioned in this thread, just my largest one: