Will a female lay every year?
 

Hi,

My female laid two fertile clutches last year but I don't think she has this year. I haven't noticed any significant gravid behaviour, she continually grazes and eats in the garden.

Her weight hasn't changed much since June and I regularly monitor it. She is also 200g heavier than my male who is of similar size (if not slightly larger).

A couple of times she has clawed at the fence, as if trying to break through, and mounted the male once or twice, but otherwise seems normal.

Problem is, I can't be sure she hasn't laid. Due to work, I can't watch her all the time. She often has the run of the garden, which is mostly grass. I would know if she has dug here. Her enclosure is a sectioned off part of the garden and is large enough that I can't dig it all up to check. This has plenty of potential nest sites as well.

She wasn't too fussy before and has previous laid in soil and grass. However, we moved recently and the soil here is more clay than soil. Could this effect her laying?

Will she lay every year? Is it possible that I have missed it? Or if she doesn't/hasn't lay, should I be worried or not?

I have hear about the box method of trying to encourage her to lay, should I try this? Can anyone give me any more information on this please?

Thanks

Dave

When a female mounts a male, its a good sign she is gravid.
Generally once a female has started to lay eggs, she will do every year, provided the weather and ground are right for her. Even female who dont have a male around can and do lay eggs, of course infertile:0)
I have two females that will lay in my lawn and its easy to see where they lay, as they disturb the lawn. I also have two females that will lay in soil, and its near impossible to see where they lay, unless you see them.
If she has had a change of garden, this might well have stopped her laying. As they can be quite fussy about where they lay. And it might take her a while to find a new suitable nesting site.
The box method has never worked for my tortoises, that have laid outside before.
Female tortoises are always larger than males:0)
Weather and suitable nesting sites are probably the reason she has held her eggs.
Or she has laid when your not around.