Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After roaming my place for 1.5 months, my Egyptian tortoise laid an egg, just this morning.
It's the very first time I see something like this..
But now, that the egg is here, I'm really worried about what I should do to keep it :s

Here's what I'm asking about:
1- I've no substrate for the enclosure.. It's only newspaper that i change regularly.. the tortoise laid its egg on newspaper.. so is it fine? or it could be damaged? :s

2- Now, What should i do? should i remove the egg or should i keep it?
what if i removed it, would she know that this is her baby later when it hatches?
what if i didn't, would she brake the egg n just let it die if questioned its safety?

3- If i was to remove the egg, how should i keep it healthy? what kinda container? lightings? soil? incubator?
knowing that: I live in Egypt, the weather is not stable these days, sometimes it's extremely hot, other times a bit cold.. n the tortoises enclosure is kept right next to a huge window where they get sunlight..

I'm really new to this, please help me keep the egg healthy..
I'm taking good care of the adults I have.. but never dealt with eggs :s

HELP!

Here's what I'm asking about:
1- I've no substrate for the enclosure.. It's only newspaper that i change regularly.. the tortoise laid its egg on newspaper.. so is it fine? or it could be damaged? :s

The egg is probably fine.
2- Now, What should i do? should i remove the egg or should i keep it?

Get an incubator ASAP & put the egg in there. There's all sorts of information available on this topic.

what if i removed it, would she know that this is her baby later when it hatches?

Tortoises are not at all maternal in this regard.

what if i didn't, would she brake the egg n just let it die if questioned its safety?

Get the egg out of the pen!

3- If i was to remove the egg, how should i keep it healthy? what kinda container? lightings? soil? incubator?
http://www.tortoise.org/general/eggcare.html

Good luck with this!

incubating eggs

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DeeCee

use completely dry sand as a substrate, keep the humidity on the level about 85%, incubation period lasts from 110 to 126 days.
best regards

Thanks a lot guys, that was great help )
I was asking because I heard that not all tortoises are the same..
n those egyptians have this personality of their own
I was able to make this incubator.. coz i wasn't sure they sell incubators here.. that's why they're endangered in Egypt.. LOL
Now, i'm having 2 eggs, with 2 cups of water and a light bulb in an aquarium with a thermometer in there to monitor the temperature.. it's now constant at 33 deg C , as i read that at tortoise trust which said there was a successful breeding at this temperature..

Thanks guys, I really hope this works.. but am I gonna find any changes with the eggs in a month or so? Does anyone have information about the development of such eggs?

Thanks again, and wish me luck

33C is too high.

28 to 30 C is the safe temperature you want to use. 31 is acceptable if you are trying to produce females but that is a high limit because after that you are most likely going to get deformaties.

Email me at epirog@comcast.net if you'd like a little note I wrote on the Egyptian tortoise. It should answer most questions you would come up with.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

do not use a light bulb as a heater. The best way to incubate eggs is to use aquarium heater. It is impossible to see a banderole like in russian's eggs, but after a month you can observe blood vessels directly beneath the egg's surface. Remember not to take eggs out of the incubator. In general, it would be better not to touch eggs. and remember about dry sand.
regards!!!