I didnt expect that!

[alley cat]

Well as today was so warm the remainder of my torts got up, (there were still 6 down) I had a juggle around so that the 3 females who were indoors could go out into the greenhouse now as they have been in a too small cage inside what with the weather being so cold. I prepared a section of the greenhouse for them to be seperate from the ones who had just woken, as I want to keep a close eye that the others are eating and drinking ok.
I checked on them after an hour as I was going out for the rest of the day and to my surprise Aggie was busy digging a hole! (she has not laid for me yet as I only had her last spring) anyway off I went.
Got home at midnight after going to see The Full Monty in Bristol (really funny btw) and dug around to see if Aggie had left me a present, well I am still in shock 12 eggs I managed to break 2 getting them out that was my own fault as I thought it was a stone so was too heavy handed.
She cant have laid all these can she???
Even if by some random chance all 3 had laid in the same hole that would mean possibly 4 each? I will weigh all the females in the morning as that may give me an idea of what has happened, as luckily I weighed them all as I put them in

[TillyTortoise]

Wow.. What species?

[alley cat]

Horsfield!

[TillyTortoise]

Originally Posted by alley cat

Horsfield!

12?

[alley cat]

I know it is just unbelievable!

I thought that Gertrude might be gravid as she has been barging around for days in the indoor cage and when I let her out on the floor she would be climbing on everything but Aggie? I was totally surprised that she was digging!

[Catwoman63]

Wow that is amazing, i didnt think tortoises laid that many eggs in one sitting, they cant carry that many can they? and what a lovely suprise, aggie is the viv reared one isnt she? i remember seeing her photos last year as you had her in quarantine x

[alley cat]

Originally Posted by Catwoman63

Wow that is amazing, i didnt think tortoises laid that many eggs in one sitting, they cant carry that many can they? and what a lovely suprise, aggie is the viv reared one isnt she? i remember seeing her photos last year as you had her in quarantine x

Yes thats right, when I got Aggie they said she had laid a couple of random eggs, I felt so sorry for her as she had no substrate in her viv other than a very sparse sprinkling of pellety looking stuff and definitely no mound of earth for laying eggs in!
I can only think that at least 2 of the 3 females has laid these eggs but I will weigh them shortly and see if it reveals the Mum/Mums, the trouble is that I wont know whos is whos hatchlings

[TillyTortoise]

Maybe Aggie and Gertrude laid, and happened to be in the same nest? Even 6 each is a lot though..

[Catwoman63]

Originally Posted by alley cat

Yes thats right, when I got Aggie they said she had laid a couple of random eggs, I felt so sorry for her as she had no substrate in her viv other than a very sparse sprinkling of pellety looking stuff and definitely no mound of earth for laying eggs in!
I can only think that at least 2 of the 3 females has laid these eggs but I will weigh them shortly and see if it reveals the Mum/Mums, the trouble is that I wont know whos is whos hatchlings

That would be amazing if both Aggie and Gertrude laid their eggs in one nest, but does cause you the problem of not knowing which hatchlings belong to which female, and as Ross said even 6 eggs each sounds alot as well....its a strange and fascinating one that! x

[egyptiandan64]

Yes even 6 is a large clutch for a Horsfields. It is possible for females to choose the same spot to nest in and very possible it wasn't you that broke the eggs but Aggie when she dug her nest around the nest that was already there.

Danny