General Care Discussion :: My gravid RES is acting funny...

[MikeReda]

She's almost 4 years old now and has never laid eggs. She recently started basking more and trying to escape from the tank, so I've been putting her in a big breeding box with a light and some organic mulch, but she hates it. So lately I've been letting her run free around my apartment. Yesterday and today she has been staying in one spot and digging at the carpet with her hind legs. It looks like she wants to lay eggs but can't. She'll dig for a half-hour or so, then she'll stop and move to another spot. I've cut big holes in the walls of the breeding box so she can go in and out as she wishes, but she wants nothing to do with it.

Anyone have any suggestions on how best to get her to lay eggs?

[zoologist]

try a different substrate. Maybe a mixture of sand/mulch/dirt. Also if you can take her OUTSIDE to lay that'd be a lot better then having her try to lay on your carpet.

if the eggs get stuck and she becomes eggbound a trip to the vet will be required.

[MikeReda]

Thanks Jessy! I wish I was in Florida so I could take her (and me) outside. Unfortunately, we got 4 inches of snow here last night!

I guess I'll just let her keep running around my apartment since she won't lay eggs in the water. I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks again!

[octpusgirl8]

If you can't take her outside the best bet would be to fill the box with sandy dirt (clean and pesticide free) as zoologist suggested. You might try rigging up a heat lamp on one end of the box to warm the sand a bit. It can be tough getting the right conditions, but it's worth trying. If she becomes egg-bound it will be expensive for you and potentially life threatening for her.

[MikeReda]

Thanks for your advice! I will try to get the sand and dirt. I had looked last summer for organic compost and sand for the 50/50 mix this site suggests, but I had a hard time finding either (unless it was in MASSIVE quantities). I don't know if I'll have any better luck in the middle of winter. Any ideas of where I might buy this stuff?

[BullDog]

Just an idea, but you could try using sand from a sandbag. It's often pretty dirty though, I'm not sure, you might want to rinse it or something...

[zoologist]

you can just use play sand and mix it with the mulch you already have. or go buy a bag of organic peat moss and make it damp. It all depends on the turtle's prefernce.

and sorry! i totally didn't see where you were from when i wrote that post. duh you can't go outside!

[MikeReda]

Thanks, Jessy! I still wish I was in Florida!!!

[steve]

The best time to move her into the nesting area is when she is exhibiting the signs, when she goes into an instinctive mode. Good luck!

[jozzep]

In the wild RES will try several spots before finding the right one to lay their eggs,so the best thing to do is create the most desirable spot for her first shot.
As others suggested the best terrain is a mixture of play sand and vermiculite 50/50 mix.You can find both at the Home Depot in the garden section.I'm sure that even if the bags are more than what you need,it won't be an absurd expense.I'm sure the health of your turtle is more important than $20 bucks!