Fertility from last year?
 

I have read that eggs can be fertile for quite some time after mating. Is it possible for fertile eggs from a mating last autumn before hibernation?

Hi steve and welcome.
I think what you are saying is can a female lay fertile eggs from a mating last year and the answer is yes as long as they mated properly and both male and female are fertile.
Females can hold sperm and fertilise many clutches of eggs for two or more years after a successful mating.
I have a tortoise who has not been with a male now for nearly four years and has laid five eggs this year with only one fertile so I'm assuming that is about it.

Thanks Gordon.
Yes, thats what I meant. Thats good to hear. So there is a good chance of fertile eggs. I have been told by the person I got my girl from not to be surprised if she lays eggs soon and that he could feel eggs inside when he felt her.
My next question is:
As it is the end of May is this event due to happen soon?
Also, as she is outside in and enclosed south facing very warm garden what do I need to provide to make sure I find the eggs or should I use a the box method I have read about. Dark room, box with soil and a heat lamp above?
Finding it quite hard to find proper information

Welcome to the forum ! amazing aren't they !!

Evolution...if there is a drought, no food they wont lay until it passes for instance..

Hi Steve, yes as others have said this is quite normal. In the example you give, the egg was maybe fertilised and formed before the hibernation started.

Reproduction is totally different to what mammals do. As CB says, just amazing.

I've tried to reply but it isn't showing so this is my second attempt.
Thats great. All I need to do is watch where she lays as was told there are eggs inside her when I got her. I have a very hot south facing garden. Do I need to make a mound of earth or will she lay in the flower borders? Also I have read you can place her in a soil filled box with a heat lamp above in a darkend room, is this better?

steve, your posts wont auto come live time till you have done 5...others more experienced than I with breeding will know more as I have never bred, but my Horsfields do lay eggs all over their enclosure, after digging into the shingle (I keep the males separate). I don't think any of those suggestions are wrong so it may depend on the actual tortoise as to what she prefers....soft flower borders under cover sound the go but equally other thoughts are good. Natural is probably best if can..CB

Hi steve
She will lay anywhere she thinks is best but you will need to keep an eye on her as if you don't see her lay them they can be very hard to find.
As for the box thing it will work but only if she is ready to lay and I have never bothered.
My horsfields have only ever laid once outside to my knowledge as they are normally the first up from hibernation I put them on a big table as it's to cold to go out and they all seem to lay there.

Thank you for your comments.
Maybe it is best to keep an eye out for nesting behaviour then use the box method when she shows signs. My garden is quite large and the south side gets sun pretty much all day but if I was to miss them and loose the eggs i'd be really disappointed. I don't really want to enclose her as they have so much freedom outside to wonder, dig and climb. Also they eat whatever they chose as well as me feeding them.

Hi Steve, Yes your south facing very warm garden could work well.

The female can run into problems if there are large stones below the surface and it can be tough for them to dig in heavy soil covered in grasses.

I've used the box method indoors and it did work but I found it was a lot of work. Your box needs to be quite deep. Both times I used this method I had to pour warm water on the soil and press it down firmly with a brick. The female did eventually lay both times under the lamp but spent a lot of time pacing about before digging and by the time she was finished I was exhausted as much as she was.