Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im just wondering if it is normal for a box turtle to lay only one egg at a time. the first egg she layed i think it was an egg, the ants ate and then the next one they broke it on accident, so i made the cage bigger by putting them into a small kiddie pool. then she layed another one, but my attempts to incubate it failed and it dried out.

all eggs were laid about a week or two apart, she is a fairly big box turtle. if help would be appreiciated.

no, this is not normal. This is the behavior of a stressed female who cannot find an appropriate spot to nest. Dropping eggs slowly allows her to hold on to the rest longer in hopes of finding a good place to put them.

She'll need a deep area of hard packed sandy soil that is at least as deep as the entire length of her shell. Moisten it, but do not make it soggy. Being in an outdoor pen with a nesting mound is often good. The natural cycle of evening-night will help encourage laying as well.