General Care Discussion :: how to calm restless turtle

[marsbars]

I have 7 year old RES. She has been banging too and fro in the tank. She is really restless. I took her out and put her back in. She goes on her basking log and goes down. How do you calm her down?

[azazeal]

maybe she has to lay eggs, my turtle was wrestles more than usual when she had this problem. check for eggs or x-ray her.

[marsbars]

How do I check for eggs? she is an already snappy thing

[richieboy]

There's a youtube video that's in a couple posts. Search eggs I'm sure you'll find it quickly.

[Jaysea]

yep sounds like she might have eggs. You can usually feel the eggs in the area in front of the back leg (the fleshy part).

[marsbars]

I finally spoke to someone about the eggs. I made a layout box ( 30 gallon container ) with soil (4-5 inches of potting soil). She said put her 3 hours in the evening for a week and if she does not lay then take her to the vet. Should I try putting her in the box during the day as well?

[Love of Animals]

Put her in anytime she gets restless. A few people have had success with nesting boxes but most don't. She may just lay them in the water. I don't know where you are and what the weather is like, but if the weather is warm you could take her outside and let her find her own site. With supervision of course.

[marsbars]

right now I live in Los Angeles. It is in the 50s so it is still cold. I brought the box inside but she still just buries in there and does not move. I am going to take her to the doctor on Thurs

[steve]

How to feel for eggs:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY2pRyQgn9o[/youtube]

They might not like to be held when you try to feel for eggs. What I did was have my turtle in a dry dock area, which is about the size of a twin bed. Wait for her to stop exploring, moving around, etc., then gently use your finger to feel for it.

As for sand, I guess play sand would do, but real dirt helps too. Dirt is usually the top layer, I don't know if a sand-only nest will work. That's tough considering the time of year. Having the male in there greatly increases the odds of her being gravid. After I separated my pair, my female RES has not been gravid.

[marsbars]

took turtle to vet. No eggs. She is still going on and off the basking log. Can't sit still

[steve]

Did the vet feel for them or took x-rays?