All Turtles Message Board

astrid · Guest Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 3

hi
my RES has eggs, but she won\'t lay them because she doesn\'t seem to be satisfied with the arrangements i made for her. does anyone have any idea for just how long can she be retaining the eggs? she tried to lay 2 weeks ago but i had no idea she was pregnant, so i had no sand area set up. now she has the sand but won\'t lay. any idea? thanks

mariza · Level 4 Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 1339

Retaining eggs is not good--they could break inside her and cause an infection which can be fatal. The sand set-up you made may not be the best for her (different species have different requirements). Take a look at http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Nestsites.htm The problem may be with the nest or an abnormality within your turtle. Click on http://www.maturtlerescue.org/dystocia.htm for other reasons why your turtle may be having problems. Sometimes egg-laying has to be induced by a herp vet. If you need but don`t have one, try www.arav.org --click on members, U.S., and state to find the nearest one near you.

I hope the problem is resolved and your turtle is OK. Good luck.
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""You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."" -Antoine de Saint Exupery-