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We have had our female RES for 5 1/2 years and when I came home from work today, there were broken eggs in her tank. I never even knew that female turtles would lay eggs without a male. Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

Female RES need a nesting area set-up. They lay eggs upon reaching maturity (5-7 years old and 6-7.5 inches long) whether or not they are fertilized by a male. If a separate nesting area isn't easily within reach, they may lay their eggs in the water. This isn't natural for them, and could cause the female to try and retain her eggs. If the eggs are retained in her body, they could rupture leading to very serious healthy complications to the female. Even if she has laid some in the water, she may still retain some, so setting up a nesting area for her as soon as possible is extremely important.

Here is a link that will help explain how the nesting area should be:Nesting Area

I would remove the eggs from the water and dispose of them, and get a nesting area set up for her as soon as possible. RES can be very picky about their nesting sites, so read the link above carefully. Good luck!

You'd probably want to change the water as well as a safety precaution.

When you create an area for your turtle to nest, try to make it one that she can go to when she feels the need (don't just put her in the nesting box and wait for her to lay them) and try to give her some privacy around it.

Yep they lay eggs likea chicken...

you could try out the same kinda thing i did for my basking area, same concept, but it would have the nesting stuff...heres a pic

btw, thats above the tank, just imagine it in contrast to the other links and stuff, just a suggestion.

Wow, can female RES really lay eggs without male? that's just wild, can the egg hatch normally? or they are not fertilized? will the baby RES look just like the mommy?

Yes you need a mommy and a daddy to make a baby

lol, as you see, a mommy sparrow and a daddy sparrow get together and....oh wait, thats another story

please don't laugh I know that ... but read the second message that sonyj posted, she did mentioned that female RES can lay egg without fertilized by male RES....

RES can lay eggs without them being fertilized, just like a chicken does. The eggs we eat are not fertilized eggs, the ones that are fertilized produce babies.. So unless there are a mommy AND a daddy, there will be no babies, just eggs.

Does that answer the question??

Elliott: Does your sister happen to be Jessica Simpson??