Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a female three toed box turtle that started gaining weight in December. She she started digging around, about 3 weeks ago. I have her in the same rubbermaid container she laid her eggs in last time. She has gained twice as much weight as she did last time she was gravid. so, i am kinda xpecting a large clutch. Last time she was gravid she couldn't get her head and back feet in the shell at the same time. But this time she can't even get in her shell, even when her back feet are out. When ever she pulls her head in all the way like when she gets scared, a big lump bulges up against her tail. I have treid warm water soaks, loosening up the soil, packing the soil up tight, even making a big muond of dirt in her pen. nothing has worked. I'm woried that she is egg-bound and from the stories i have heard it's a bad thing to put a turtle through. So please help. Last year after she laid eggs i braught her to the vet for a little check up. And the vet said that she was at least 60 yrs. old may be even alot older. I don't want to loose her. She is the only turtle i have that will walk up to me and eat out of my hand. I am really woried. So can anyone help?????

I have heard of two occasions of egg binding in all the years I've been dealing with turtles. Both were since 98 when the internet sharing of information for turtle keeping became possible.

A vet who knows how to administer an oxytocin shot dosed for the animal could easily cause a laying. If the eggs are truly "bound" which is to be positioned so that they cannot come out on their own, oxytocin may not help. In those cases (and in this I've only heard of one true one) a very experienced vet was required to remove the eggs surgically and I do not believe the animal survived.

Another thing to consider...

bulges by the tail are NOT eggs. That can be the pelvic girdle, leg muscles, or fat bulges, but not eggs, as the eggs are in front of the pelvis, never behind it. The turtle could also be not gravid, but just very overweight.

If you can palpate it, you could determine if it had eggs or not.

To palpate, you must hold the turtle facing away from you (easier if someone holds the turtle for you, facing it's tail towards your stomach). You hold the rear legs and extend them gently by gripping with your thumb and middle finger. Then you use your pointer fingers (please trim your nails) and VERY GENTLY feel the soft skin that is in front of the rear legs in the area where the legs would normally retract to when the turtle pulls them in. Feeling with your fingers pointed towards each other, hard round lumbs will be the feeling of eggs. Be very gentle doing this.

This might not tell you if there are NOT eggs, as it can take some experience, but if you feel eggs, you will at least know for sure they ARE there.