Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A while back, I got an adult female Russian tortoise that is very deformed. It's almost like she was stepped on by a horse, her shell is caved in, and the edges flare out at the back. She's in perfect health now, and I've had her for over a year. I spotted the smaller male mating with her this afternoon, and I'm wondering, if she ends up gravid, would she be able to lay eggs alright?

Thanks, Cliff

Hard to say...it depends on how depressed her carapace is, and also the flaring of the marginals, do they constrict the vent area? Do you think eggs could squeeze out in the space between shells, scutes where her tail/cloaca is? Do you think there would be room inside her carapace for a normal clutch of say 4 or 5 eggs? If her shell is caved in, maybe not... Maybe post a photo, focus on her rear/under side, maybe you will get some opinions. Egg laying is sometimes traumatic, things can and do go wrong, it is a risk, yet they usually go well and have for eons of time. Many reptiles recover and breed even after disfiguring injuries. However, she could get egg bound in which case you have a vet emergency on your hands. I wish both you and she good luck, vic h.

I'll try to post a pic of her soon. If you're familiar with aquatic turtles, you'll know what an aquatic turtle that wasn't given enough calcium looks like, and that's how she looks. She actually has alot more room to squeeze eggs out than normal females, but the top shell is kind of caved in, and that's why I'm wondering if she can lay eggs safely.