Urgent Care :: Turtle Nesting? Laying Eggs?

[bbrown9506]

Ok I Have a backyard water garden with 2 ponds and a waterfall and stream set up, the ponds are about 12X9 and 6X5, the stream runs for about 10 ft and is very shallow, the ponds are just over 2 ft at the deepest.

Ok I have 4 Turtles-3 Sliders, and a Painter...all seem happy and seem to be doing ok,

But my large slider (12") keeps burroughing in the bushes and my vegetable garden. Do Sliders normal hibernate in summer? In LA, CA it gets hot in LA, but I check on him and he gets wet from when we water garden and seems to be ok and just hisses at me If i try and disturb him/her, but I dont know what he or she could be eating? Hasnt moved...could she be laying eggs? I dont want to move her back into the pond if this is the natural reaction of the animal. I figure she got there she can get back. But wondering if she is laying eggs? hibernating? what?

THANKs


check out my pond blog

http://mysocalledpondlife.blogspot.com/

[marisa]

Very nice pics. I can't tell from the slider pic what sex the turtle is, but if the shell length is anywhere near 12 inches, I'm assuming the turtle is a female. (Males have extremely long claws and bigger, thicker tails with the anal vent closer to the tip of the tail than the shell and are smaller than females.) If the turtle is an adult female, she may be looking for a nesting site. You can find info on nesting sites here: http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Nestsites.htm

If however, she finds the place suitable where she is, she may lay them there (if she has any to lay). If she's gravid, you should be able to feel the eggs by gently sticking your index finger in the area in front of the hind legs (you'll feel lumps like grapes).

Is she within an enclosed area with a fence? You don't want her to be able to just wander off on her own if she isn't.

[bbrown9506]

depending on which picture your talking about, Im not sure I have a picture of the big guy/girl on the blog....she has been buried for about a month! Could she be egg bound if pregnant? How long should I leave her/him? I do figure from its size thats its a girl, and as you said from the claws! Thanks

[bbrown9506]

completely fenced in! Unless the turlte climps a 8 ft high fence, I dont think its going anywhere but my backyard

[marisa]

The turtle is totally buried? For a whole month?

If she's trying to lay eggs but is egg bound, she's most likely going to need a herp vet. She would be given an injection of oxytocin to help her expel the eggs. If she is eggbound and the eggs rupture inside her, she will likely get an infection, which could be fatal without a vet's intervention.

If she's been there for that length of time without moving around, I'd try to find out what's going on with her.

[bbrown9506]

How long will a turtle take to lay eggs? Will they do it the same day they make their little hole. I think now my other mid size slider might be carrying eggs. I checked back by both of the turtles back legs, and both have waht feel like gold balls on each side. I figure these are the eggs, and now sadly I think they are egg bound! should I take them to the Vet?

[cam722]

Well if you think they are egg bound, the answer would be Yes, take them to a vet.

[bbrown9506]

I put her back in the pond, there were no eggs in her nest that she built, there are 2 huge bulges on either side of her legs. Im going to try adn find a vet. She went back in happily, and I just feed her for like 5 minutes straight! Ill let you know what happens--but Im thinking she was egg bound when I got her since she has done this since day one, and its now been a few months. Thanks for the help

[STRAYKINGFISHER]

Good luck with your turtle, let us know what happens.

[marisa]

If you can't find a herp vet, check the sticky under Urgent Care for links to locate one. Once a female finds a suitable nest site and starts digging, she should lay eggs and cover the nest. If they're egg bound, it can be dangerous for reasons stated above.