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I have a problem with my stars that no one seems to be able to answer...
My two females have been copulated by my male and now for a few months they do what female torts do after being impregnated....they pace around for days and finally start digging for a couple of hours,quite deep,and then burry it completely after and ...NO EGGS!!!
They did that 3 times each now! every month like a real clutch ...but nothing!
I don't think it's eggbinding because they burry after and also they eat,are active and everything the next day...
What could it be?
If the males were not fertiles wouldn't the females just lay anyways but infertiles eggs?
Could it be that they are possibly not from the same eco-type?

I need an Idea on how I could change all that?
Thanks a lot!!

Yannick

Check with your vet, oxytocin will help if they are eggbound. I have done this and it will flush them out. Good luck.

How weird. I have seen false nesting in which a Mt.Tortoise started to build a nest (they build above ground)then would just abandon it. Box turtles will do that but as a decoy, but dig and lay near by. My gut reaction if they were mine would be to give them some oxytocin next time. I had asked on this forum last year if anyone new if oxytocin kicked in "nest construction" or just the "egg laying" I got a mixed responce but most said just the egg laying. You could get them X rayed and get your answer quickly. VM

I have had females dig a hole to completion and then fall asleep without laying eggs. The next morning they just walked away and never covered the hole back in. However in these cases they have always made another hole and layed the eggs days later. I have had one dig a full hole and then cover it back up just as if she did lay eggs, but did not. She never did lay after that until next season and was fine. I have never had one x-rayed yet.

Well talking about crazy egg laying. I watched a redfoot brake out of its pen and with much effert climb into another area and pick a spot outside of where any tortoises are kept and dig a hole in the ground. I watch from a window in shock as she dug up other tortoises eggs there! What are the odds on that! Things happen. VM

Hi
Thanks for the answer!but they are not eggbound...I guess they are still too young or something.I just wanted to know if someone had the same experience with a female tort.

They really do the complete steps...it's not like they stop during egglaying or anything...it's just that they do the whole process(burying completely after!) but they don't lay eggs!

I heard about phantom laying but not much infos about it...

Hi
Finally I got eggs from one that was digging for nothing!!the oldest...so I guess it was just practice!I breed Greeks too and I've never witness something like this.Also when my greeks eggs chalked they always hatch.With one of the female star,the one that's been laying like a hen,the eggs chalked seemed to developp and then stop and die!but that female came to me in a bad shape ,very long ingrown beak,feeling so light like an empty shell...I guess inbalance of calcium or something?Now that she stopped laying those bad eggs,she actually have growth lines and feeling more and more heavy and have a beautifull beak(I had actually trimed that long beak right when I got her...)
A female that I got at the end of summer ,gave me eggs right away and they really seem to developp,so no problem with her,no weird patterns! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!they should hatch soon!!
So I don't see patterns in the breeding of stars like I see in my greeks,I guess being more a tropical tortoise makes a difference?
Any breeders of stars that had that had different experiences like this in this forum?Also ,being a tropical, do stars lay eggs all year long or they have a season like the greeks?
Thanks