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Hi, I'm new to the site but I've found it reall useful. I have 2 RES, one rescued (Desmond) and another bought (Pickle).

Recently, Pickle's been laying eggs once every couple of days. She's about 3 years old and according to the site, she's ready to lay eggs. The first time she laid eggs was on the 1st of May, and she laid 3 eggs. Subsequently, she's laid one egg every 3 to 4 days. Is that normal? I live in a small apartment and there's no dirt for her to dig around to lay her eggs. Is she holding her eggs back?

I would also like to know if it's healthy if RES never get to have sex. I know some animals may get depressed and sick if they never have sex in their entire lifetime.

Any reply would be great. Thanks people!!

Is she in water, or have you put her in dirt for an hour a day?

I don't think female RES like mating

Is Desmond a confirmed male?

@Linus: I don't have a tank for them, just a tub. It's all I can do until I move out. I take them out every morning and let them wander around the kitchen floor. She laid her eggs on the floor.

@Steve: Desmond is NOT a confirmed male. I'm kinda confused by it. It has the physical characteristics of a male but sometimes behave like a female.

I'm no expert, but I would guess that she's only laying one at a time to relieve the pressure the eggs are causing her. She wants to dig a nest and lay the eggs into the nest. She is probably holding back the eggs until she can find a proper nest to lay them in. I would recommend you let her roam outside on grass or dirt and let her lay them properly. There has to be some place in a park or somewhere that there is dirt you can take her to. Once she lays them, just destroy them. If Desmond is a male, those eggs are probably fertile. Laying eggs, especially the first time she lays them, can take a long time. You should give her a few hours to do her business.

-Michael

I've just measured her. She's about 7 inches. Can she really pack that many eggs inside? Thanks Michael for your advice. I will bring her to the park soon. Will grass patch work?

By the way, she's laid 6 or 7 so far..

My 8" female can lay about 15 eggs sometimes. Get a tub of sand, about 4" deep, and put her in there for an hour a day.

I'm not an expert but our RES lays eggs every year it has laid 12 plus eggs in a clutch then more again over the next few days. She will wonder the yard to find a dig site for hours and she will never dig where you would like her to or the spot put her.
I have never been able to set up a mulch & sand to find out she has to dig through grass and that's why she tries to find another spot to hard to dig through obstructions always assest her dig from behind.

Ive read here that they can retain eggs and that's bad but sounds like yours is letting them out but definitely needs to dig her nest