General Care Discussion :: Laying Eggs

[KDavenport24]

I have an 8 year old female RES that has been housed with a male. A few weeks ago she was really trying to get out of the tank, climbing up on the side and everything! I had remembered reading somewhere that this was nesting behavior. I got a nesting tank all set up and after making many "trial" nests she finally laid her first egg! It has been almost 2 weeks since she has been nesting. How will I know when she is done? I thought she was yesterday so I put her back in her tank, only to find eggshells in her tank when I came back. Help, what do I do??

[michaelg]

The actual name for it is gravid - with eggs. If she has never laid eggs before, she may have some difficulty at first. You need to give her time. She should dig a proper nest, drop her eggs in and then cover up the nest when she is done. However, it is not uncommon for RES to lay more than one clutch of eggs in one year.

You need to watch for the signs that you saw originally that led you to make a nesting tank for her in the first place. Every time she acts like that it is because "nature calls" and she needs to lay the eggs. If you aren't able to keep an eye on her all the time, you may want to try to incorporate the nesting tank into the turtles' normal tank. Sort of like an Above Tank Basking Area (ATBA). She would actually be more apt to laying eggs in that enviroment because it is more natural.

As for the nesting tank. The soil should not be sand and it should not be too loose. It should be compacted. She should have to work to dig the nest. She has to be comfortable that where she is laying her eggs is safe for her babies.

-Michael

[KDavenport24]

Sorry I might have been misunderstood. I already know & have all of that. She already has laid 8 eggs so far. I am wondering how will I know when she is all done?? Like how long do I leave her in the nesting tank?

[KDavenport24]

She should dig a proper nest, drop her eggs in and then cover up the nest when she is done. However, it is not uncommon for RES to lay more than one clutch of eggs in one year.

She has been laying her eggs one at a time 12-24hrs apart usually, covering them up in between then will dig on the side of where the others are & do it all over again.

[steve]

By having mature RES together and in an indoor setup, she might be laying eggs year round.