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My RES has been digging into the soil for some days now. I believe she is trying to lay some eggs, but I am not sure how this goes.

At first she had dug a small hole. However, because the soil was very rocky, I changed it today. I replaced it with 4-5 inches of fertile soil that has less rocks (there's smaller rocks instead). The soil was wet, and she was trying to dig into it. The hole didn't go far. She was also going back into its pond from time to time.

She seems tired and less energetic. Even while digging she seemed slow (I never saw her dig btw). She used her front legs at first, then continued with her back legs for the rest of the "digging" (it was mostly moving her legs side by side). She didn't eat today, even when I gave her shrimps.

I am not sure how this is supposed to go. She has stopped for the night. I believe she will try again tomorrow.

Can someone tell if I can help her with the digging?

I think the good soil isn't deep enough. And make sure packed in and it's not too wet/muddy. Is this her first time being gravid?

As she is a rescued res, I'm not sure if she carried eggs before. It's the first time she has been like this since a year of having her.

At the location she is digging (as in the attachment), there's around 7 inches or more of dig-able soil. I'll wait till tomorrow to see if that's enough for her. If she doesn't like the depth, she will obviously make another try.

As for the wet/muddy soil, I can't help it. In the morning it's always that way. Perhaps it will dry up in the sun.

Maybe it might be necessary to dig it up and repack. Hope she's successful!

She dug the hole easily this morning, and then she filled it again. I don't know if she laid eggs in there. I'm not going to dig it again to look for eggs. I'll wait for a week and then perhaps move the eggs to a safer place.

@steve

Im thinking about not loving the eggs. However, when I do water changes, the area where the eggs have been laid in gets flooded. Is it ok, or should I move the eggs?

If she made a hole and covered it, she probably laid eggs in there. It sounds like you need to move those eggs, or do the water changes someplace else. It already looks kind of muddy from the above pictures. You also don't know if those eggs are viable, so you can also just dig them up and throw them away.

Autocorrect typo in my previous message. I meant "not moving them".

So, listening to you, I will move them. I'll also keep them for some weeks. Then I'll try to shine a light through them to see if there's anything developing in there. I won't throw them away without being sure nothing is coming out of them.

Thanks for the advice buddy.

No problem. Be real careful digging them out... they know how to carefully bury them.

I've got several questions regarding RES nesting :

-What would be the minimal age/size for them to be left in the "wild" (of course, they'd be in a grillaged space, but it's still outside)? I've got 2 3.5" males and they feel quite small.
-Is there any type of soil and climate that's ideal or harmful for them? I'm asking because I might well be moving to Greece soon, where the soil is dry and acidic and the weather quite hot.
-If the Greek weather won't be a danger to them (especially with trees/foliage over their dedicated space outside), do you think it would be doable to create a 10' by 10' space for them covered by vegetation (so they have some shade) in the yard of this house? That's the one I'm looking to buy, so I'd rather make sure beforehand that it can fit the needs of my turtles.
-Would it be a good idea to create a small artificial basin, with a "beach" that would be easy to climb, for the sliders to take a dip from time to time? If yes, what should I be paying attention to in regard to the quality of the water?

Thanks in advance!

If you have males, there is no need to worry about nesting. Typical dirt is fine, I would avoid any sort of fertilizer. Access to shade is definitely recommended when they are outdoors. Is your plan to have an outdoor pond or just a dry area for them to roam around?

Okay, thanks for the answer ; I'm not that used to that kind of pets and I'm sorry for the dumb question.

Apart from that, the plan is at first to have a dry area for them to enjoy the outside, and then to dig a small pond, within 12-18 months after moving in.

Keep in mind that males often need to be kept separated so you do need to have a plan in case that happens. Above ground ponds are also an option, so do have lots of different ways to explore.