Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here they are OUT of the water. Now can you tell?

I couldnt get a shot of the big one's vent - too busy trying to keep him from biting my finger off! He's HUGE!

Here's the big one...

Here's the little one...

Both Females
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iturnrocks.com

Thanks - thats comforting. The last thing I need is little turtles all over the place.

They only lay eggs when they are pregnant, right? Or do I have to provide them a place to dig an lay eggs or something like that? I guess they are enterring "maturing" age?

Female turtles can lay eggs with or without a male, just like chickens. If there has been no mating with a male then any eggs laid would not be fertile.
Something has to stimulate their hormones to cause them to cycle in order to produce eggs. Just the sight of a male could do it but if you have only females together it's much less likely that they would ever start to cycle. No hormonal cycling- then no eggs.
That'd be a good thing.
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PHRatz

Is there any way to tell if they NEED to lay eggs, or will they just do it in the water?

Any tell-tale signs?

-I

They get restless and try walk around on their land area. Also they tend to stop eating when they are laidened down with eggs.

I have a large cement mixing tub with equal parts of topsoil, sand and peatmoss in it that is mounted on two blocks in my indoor pond. This is my basking area for the turtles and if any of the girls do have eggs then they will dig and lay them in the soil and cover them up.

They may lay in the water for you but sometimes they retain them. (which is not good). ALso when they lay them in the water the eat them and you water turns into an eggdrop soupy mess!!!

Steve