Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Gd evening all, i have a pair of Star tortoise and today i realised my male was humming on my females back and giving out a grunting sound. Im sure they were mating after i saw some liquid ooze out from his tail oO!
So im thinking of making some preparations earlier for them and as its my first time having gravid females, i would like to seek some advice from some experienced keepers here.
1) What substrate mix and its condition should i use to simulate an egg laying site for my girl?
2) Whats the humidity and temperature range i should keep for the eggs ? my country has a high humidity range at around 75% average though and an average temperature range of 85F
3) Is it a must to re-locate the eggs after my girl has laid in the egg-laying site to another substrate? won't it be better if the eggs were untouched through-out the cycle in the egg-laying site?
4) Lastly, how should i measure the humidity range of the substrate? im using a hygrometer with a probe at the end, should i stick the probe into the substrate or the air above for the accurate measurement.

Eagerly waiting for replies ^^ cheers

If you live in a semi, or Tropical latitude and have them outside, I would say let the Female decide where she wants to lay and let them hatch where she lays. Dirt has always been the best substrate I've used whether inside or out, and the Females always recognize it as a egg laying substrate. The moisture content has to be fairly high, but it is easy to keep up with once you work with it for a short while.