Urgent Care :: Laying eggs in water

[callmepotato83]

My 6 year old RES Thomas has been acting very agitated lately. Normally, it is because of something in the environment she doesn't care for...or just excitement when there is a lot going on around her. So yesterday we come out and see eggs in the water! I pulled out a total of 5 whole ones and the remnants of maybe 2 or 3 more. Afterwards, she acted very sedate for about 12 hours, at which point we decided to take her outside to her turtle pond to get some sun. Now she is at the bottom and won't come up except to eat the occasional bit of plant or bug. Should I be worried? I tried placing her in some sand near her pond and giving her her space, but she walked right off and came and sat on my foot. Will she want to lay more eggs when I am not looking? Is is possible she laid all her eggs in the water and broke/ate several? Or is a turtle's first clutch of eggs smaller?

I hope I am just being an over-protective turtle daddy, but I could use some guidance...this is my first time dealing with eggs. There is no male (or other turtle) in the same tank as her.


How big is your turtle? 9 inches in shell length
How long have you had it? 6 years

What is the water temperature? 78 inside, about 88-90 in her pond
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? No need....too hot.
How much water is in there? About 55 gallons in the tank, 500 in the pond.
Are you using a water conditioner? Have previously used turtle-related.
Are you using any filtration? Rena X4 filter

What is the basking temperature? Unsure
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Very easy - has ramp
What kind is it or what is it made out of? made from tile
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin with occasional veggies
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today - anacharis in her pond

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? tank - 70 gal, pond 500 gal
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Sometimes

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Listed above

[TheComputerGremlin]

As far as I understand, first, the egg laying process is very taxing, so she may be a bit worn out. I think that 5-8 eggs is probably the whole clutch, but you can never really know. Since she laid them in the water, that means that she was desperate, and she was probably showing signs beforehand. Make sure you read up on this on the main site so you can be ready next time.

If she doesn't pep up in the next day or so, you should see a herp vet so they can X ray her to make sure she isn't retaining any or has had one break in her. That is life-threatening, so you shouldn't refrain from getting to the vet if she doesn't get better.

[steve]

After my girl laid eggs, she returned to normal as soon as she was done. She's stays in a regular aquarium, so I can't really explain the reaction in the pond. How does she normally act in there?

[callmepotato83]

As far as I understand, first, the egg laying process is very taxing, so she may be a bit worn out. I think that 5-8 eggs is probably the whole clutch, but you can never really know. Since she laid them in the water, that means that she was desperate, and she was probably showing signs beforehand. Make sure you read up on this on the main site so you can be ready next time.

If she doesn't pep up in the next day or so, you should see a herp vet so they can X ray her to make sure she isn't retaining any or has had one break in her. That is life-threatening, so you shouldn't refrain from getting to the vet if she doesn't get better.

She has already pepped up quite a bit...I saw her chase a bug in the pond earlier, and she has been very excited to see us. I moved her back to the tank, where she swam and ate some food. We weren't aware she wanted to lay eggs because her behavior isn't uncharacteristic for her...she will sometimes act that way when she wants food or is upset about something.

I am building the pond because I know that her indoor setup isn't quite right and it is just too space-consuming in our current situation to get a bigger tank. The only things stopping me from putting her in right now is a lack of shade (this is south Texas so that is a MUST) and a lack of fencing (which I am installing in the next couple days).

[TheComputerGremlin]

Sounds great! Just keep an eye on her for the next few days in case she lays some more or becomes lethargic in any way.

[Joel]

you can check if she has eggs by placing you small finger in the gap between the front of her back leg BE VERY GENTLE AND SLOW you dont want to damage them, if you feel something in the shape of a grape, there is still more to come.