All Turtles Message Board

Trinny · Level 1 Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 17

Ok I have had my turtles for atleast 6/5 human years together,in the same tank all the time.They are both male and female.All of a sudden the female starts to get slow,and doesn\'t eat and her back is starting to get wider and higher.Ive tried giving her different food like cabbages and carrots diced small and she still doesn\'t eat.I made a nesting spot and all she does is walk around sniffing and if it not that she\'s trying to dig a hole in this one spot where she sleeps in all the time.I put some screen,wire like around it and all she does is climb it.And when I talk climb I mean she climbs it and very high to.Can you please help me,fast.
_________________
PJarrett

~~~LAYLA~~~ · Level 3 Joined: 18 Jul 2003 Posts: 213

im not for sure but she sounds pregnat u needa look up how to incubate em IF she is
_________________
Layla

Trinny · Level 1 Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 17

Now she doesn\'t climb but it looks to be some sought of lump in the back by her tail
_________________
PJarrett

luiginess · Level 1 Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 11

That\'s exactly what my female box turtle was doing but when she laid her eggs they were not fertilized you may get ucky if yours are I\'m trying to get her to with this male box turtle same species do you have any tips?

Trinny · Level 1 Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 17

Sorry I dont but now I think she is because she\'s been sleeping all day and it\'s like she\'s straining to push but I dont know
_________________
PJarrett

shelngav · Level 3 Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 394

I found this site (http://home.neo.rr.com/edzoo/Scales/red_eared_sliders.htm) and copied part of it for you. Hopefully it helps. I went to google.com and put in pregnant red ear sliders and got many hits. Here was the result of the one above.
During pregnancy the female should be kept separate from the male, and she should be disturbed only when absolutely necessary. Heating is very important, as she will spend a lot of time basking to warm herself and the eggs inside. Appetite may decrease and she may refuse to eat. This is normal. Continue offering food and consider a dietary change. Like many pregnant mama\'s she may have specific preferences at this time.

The average gestation period is two months, but if she doesn\'t find a suitable place for laying her eggs, she might retain the eggs inside. During the last two weeks you will notice that she will want to spend more time on land, sniffing and digging around in order to find a proper place for laying her eggs. At this point, you need to place the female in a tank with about 4\" of potting soil or a soil/vermiculite mixture. She will lay from 2-20 eggs. There are pro\'s and con\'s to both leaving and removing the eggs. If the eggs are left, you eliminate the risk of damaging the eggs. However, if left buried, they are difficult to monitor. Also, if an egg is infected with a fungus, it may spread to the whole nest or the hatchlings may have a difficult time digging their way out. To remove the eggs to incubate them, you can use a large plastic sweater box or a plastic shoebox. Drill a series of small holes into the lid for ventilation (no more than 1/4\" in diameter). Put about 2 inches of vermiculite in the container. Use the heavy grain rather than the fine one. Moisten the vermiculite evenly. Make sure it is kept damp (but not wet). Mark the top of the eggs, as they should never be rotated or turned. Place them carefully in the new container and do not disturb them. Check on them by removing the lid. If you find a rotten egg, remove it immediately. If you see a fungus developing, you can remove it with a 50/50 solution of mouthwash and water.

The eggs should hatch in about 80-85 days. The hatchlings will cut the eggshell with the egg tooth, which falls out about an hour later and never grows back. They may remain in the shell for an additional day. Once they come out, you will notice a small sack on the plastron. This is the yolk sac that fed them while they were incubating. Do not try to remove it, as this can kill the hatchling. It will usually drop off on it\'s own.The hatchlings can be moved to a 20-gallon aquarium with both an area of shallow water and a dry area. Baby sliders may take a while to become confident swimmers and can even drown if not provided with an easily accessible land area. They must be provided with the same lighting as the adults to prevent illness and to help their shells to harden. The water should be kept very clean because they are prone to eye infections which can blind them or kill them. They should be introduced to all the foods in the recommended adult diet, but it must usually be chopped (even the worms and probably the feeder fish) for the tiny turtles.

Trinny · Level 1 Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 17

thank you so very much for your help.
_________________
PJarrett