All Turtles Message Board

hobbitgirl · Guest Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Nashville, NC

First of all, hello everyone, this is my first message, I haven't had a chance to introduce myself, but I will do that later.

I have (I think) a spotted turtle. She's black with yellow spots on her back that look like drops of yellow paint. We rescued her about a month or so ago. She was laying in the middle of the road with her front arm bleeding, so we were letting her recouperate before deciding if we want to let her go or keep her. She's been living in my bathtub in a~~I don't really know what it is, it's a deep container and we keep sand and water and food in there for her. She been doing really good: always moving around, her leg is pretty much healed, the swelling stopped and she moves it now, she eats okay...not nearly as much as my little painted turtle, Pippin...but she seems to love cantaloupe, watermelon and tomatoes, and she won't touch turtle pellets...but anyway...

When I woke up today and checked on her, there was this beautiful egg in there!! I don't have a clue as to what to do!! I did take it out because the last turtle I had that laid eggs, we left them with her and she ate them, and I didn't want that, so I made a little cushion-y nest out of torn up paper towels and put it in a bowl under a heat lamp. So, what I want to know is:

Does the egg have a chance of hatching? I mean, is it fertilized? Do turtles lay eggs whether they're fertilized or not, like chickens?

What do I do with it? (I'm sure sitting in a bowl on a paper towel nest isn't the best place for it.)

Does she the mother (Frodo) need anything special to eat for vitamins since laying it...I'm not sure if she's finished laying yet because she was all foamy.

About how long after mating do turtles lay the eggs? (That may help me decipher if there's a turtle-ling in there.)

Any other help or advice you can offer would be great, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

I hope I haven't killed it by moving it, I would never want to hurt it in any way. Sad

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Love, Luck, & Laughter,

Keys

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 3:27 pm Post subject:

This link should answer most of the questions about eggs that you might have:
http://www.turtlecare.net/eggs.htm

Pretty much, if the egg was laid while you slept, it more than likely is not any good, eggs need to have oxygen to survive, if they are underwater, they won't have oxygen to develop properly, another thing is, when you move a turtle egg, you have to move it without turning the egg, otherwise the embryo will die, check the link out, it explains it alot better than I can. Very Happy

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hobbitgirl · Guest Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Nashville, NC

OK, I'll check out the link you posted. Thanks so much!

She actually laid the egg on the dry area where I give her berries and melon...which is why I thought someone had given her a weird potato. I was very gentle with it when I moved it, so maybe...maybe it's okay. I guess it can't hurt to try?

Anyway, thanks again for the reply! Smile

_________________
Love, Luck, & Laughter,

Keys

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 11:29 am Post subject:

You're welcome and good luck with your egg. Very Happy

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