My female ornate has laid 2 eggs one month apart the firs egg was laid above ground and I incubated it but it totally collapsed and grew mold the second egg she laid above ground again she ate part of it. Before I could incubate it. She has been exposed to the same male ornate as last year when she painstakingly dug many test holes and then a nest and laid 5 eggs all at once. 4 were infertile and 1 formed a baby but he didn't make it past piping the egg. What would cause her to be laying eggs on the surface and only one at a time no housing conditions or nesting box has been changed from last year.
Wendy in Wyoming
Gwendlune13@aol.com
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Female ornate ate her own egg. Why?
Gwendline
May 21, 2003 11:57 PM
Replies (2)
nathana
May 22, 2003 12:12 PM
If she is stressed (the male bothers her, other turtles bother her, people or other pets make her think it's not a safe place to lay, etc.) she might retain eggs until she had to drop them one at a time to releive the pressure. In any case, once an egg is out, if it's not buried it will be seen and it's fair game for food. Turtles have no parental instincts once a nest is done. Eggs dropped on the fly are just food as soon as the female sees it again.
tortugas
May 23, 2003 03:07 PM
The babies are fair game also.
