I live in So. CA and have had my Desert Tortoises (yes, they're registered) producing off spring for a couple of decades now. Generally I get at least one clutch of eggs every year, but quite often I get two, and on a very rare occasion I can get three. Last year we re-sod the back yard and I noticed that the female didn't appear to dig any egg holes all summer long. I just assumed I missed the event and spent the fall looking for babies without any luck. This last week it got pretty hot and they were scratching in their hibernation totes, so I put them out in the yard. That afternoon I went out to check on them and found 4 pink eggs just laying out in the open, thee on the concrete patio and one in the grass. The eggs went straight into the incubator like they always do.
She's never done this before, so I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what became of the eggs. Is there any chance of eggs being retained throughout hibernation being viable?
Thanks,
Roger
