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Right now, there are at least two threads of female RES desperate to lay eggs. These are females that have never mated.

Of course, you're not going to get posts from users saying, "my eight year old female RES once again hasn't laid eggs." We're seeing posts from people that are the exception.

I know from reading here, that egg laying is common. However, as the keeper of a 2 year old female, I'm curious how common. Will all females eventually need to lay eggs, even if they've never mated?

Or, is it just some? Once it starts, can it be expected every year?

For those that do deal with egg laying regularly, are there RES for which it's a relatively painless process?

I'd really like to hear from as large a sample as possible.

Well, I told my girl's story here http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=35796. It seemed a relatively painless process, she only dug once before she laid, that was one week before, she didn't seem to like the hole and abandoned it. She didn't even look for a good spot, the moment I let her on the ground she began digging right there. When she did lay, she wandered for a bit and decided by scratching the ground with her front legs, then turned around and started digging with the hind legs.
However, it seems to me that the process prior to the actual laying is more difficult. Bobo just lays on the bottom of the tank and seems to be struggling, acts as if her back feet are paralyzed, sometimes she even closes her eyes. At a first glance, you would think she's...dancing, but I'm not sure this is not quite painful for her. The same thing also happened when I took her out to feed her or to wander around the room, but only a few weeks before she actually laid her eggs. It's happening again for a couple of weeks, not sure if it really is related to the egg forming or laying, we'll just have to wait and see...

They may or may not have to lay eggs. Some have over productive ovaries and might have to lay dozen of eggs. Single females, I believe, will have less active reproductive cycles in general and as they get older. If it does happen, it could go on for a few years. I've seen older turtles with over productive ovaries, so I'm not sure what the science it behind it.

There was one member who had this problem. We figured out a decent, outdoor nesting area for her girl and it was much easier to deal with. I agree, there is a lot of wait and see.

steve wrote: I've seen older turtles with over productive ovaries, so I'm not sure what the science it behind it.

I remember years ago reading in Discover or one of the other science magazines an article about turtle conservation and regulations. This was looking at something like RES, not sea turtles. The point of the article was that female turtles lay more eggs as they age, not fewer, and that the impact of destroying larger turtles was much higher than the impact of removing smaller turtles. The article also said that there was no evidence that very old turtles stopped laying eggs.

I'm not sure if that may be related or not.

I was hoping for more input, but I'm hoping that Tobi won't experience issues with eggs multiple times a season. She's not quite two years old, so I think I have some time.

I'm not sure of the research behind that article, but it's a pretty fascinating point. Being gravid might just be a combination of environmental, biological and dietary factors.