All Turtles Message Board

skippysmom · Level 1 Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 19

This might be a silly question but how old are turtles before they lay eggs? If they are not in with a male will they lay them anyway? Our turtle is doing a lot of digging and we just wanted to make sure we didn't need to make a nesting area for her yet. Will she need a nesting area eventually?

Thanks for any info. We are still newbies.

dixieee · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 9:47 am Post subject:

they don't usually mate b4 they are 4 yrs old or 4-5 inches big but yes females do lay unfertile eggs sometimes. how old is ur turtle? are u sure it's a she?
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

skippysmom · Level 1 Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 19

We are pretty sure she is a she. She is about 11 months old. Her shell is 3 and 1/4 inches from head to tail. She has short claws and a flat undershell. Will we need to give her a nesting area then if she is only going to lay unfertile eggs? We have no plans to take on breeding. I was concerned because I read that if they retain their eggs they can get an infection.

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 1:52 pm Post subject:

Yeah, it is called "Egg bound" , it means that the eggs have reached full size and the turtle cannot push them out, if they rupture inside the turtle, it can cause serious problems and may kill the turtle. Sad

You may find this interesting:

skippysmom · Level 1 Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 19

Thanks for the info. So if she isn't mating she won't need a nesting place? Just want to make sure we do what needs to be done.

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:32 am Post subject:

Well, if you believe that she is carrying eggs, it would be a good idea to give her a nesting place, remember that they don't need a male to be able to lay eggs, but they do need the male in order for the egg to be fertilized.

I did read that they can go about 5 years without needing the male to fertilize the eggs...no wonder males are so grumpy when it comes to mating. Very Happy

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dixieee · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:59 am Post subject: Re: When do turtles lay eggs

Chickenczar24 · Guest Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

I was wondering will male RES turtles have a problem with not procreating, and can you get them neutered?

skippysmom · Level 1 Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 19

Gosh I hadn't realized how long it had been since we posted. We have since found out that our turtle is definitely a "he". so, we won't have any egg laying issues anyway.

Thanks for all the info anyway!!!

blackforce247 · Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 1:17 am Post subject:

turtles lay eggs during the summer times or hot weather in the year. in new york where i live theres only a few red eared sliders here and there and when i visit the beach you can see them walking towards the water and i usually hold them and give them a boost to the water before the gulls get them. its really fun but they lay eggs during the summer time warm temps to keep the eggs warm. trust me chickens got it easy try letting a turtle sit on your eggs not very smart eh? trust me if you want them scrambled well always use a turtle
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2 red eared sliders

small fry (male:since they're smaller than females
kitty nails( female: i named her that cuz i bought her with id say 1 1/4 inches on each front hand