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Old 10-07-2021, 02:44 PM   #1
GemmaD
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Default Gravid female?

I wondered if I could please ask for some advice about one of my adult female tortoises? She weighs over 2 kg and I have introduced her to our adult male this spring. For a couple of weeks now, our usually quite and gentle tortoise has been butting and mounting the other tortoises. I assumed that might be because she's getting ready to lay but she's shown no interest in digging anywhere. They live in a greenhouse with an outside run and I've set up an area of deep, loosened top soil, with a slight slope underneath the lamps. Is there anything else I should do? Is it beginning to get too late in the year to lay now? Thank you for your help!
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Old 10-07-2021, 04:47 PM   #2
sandy
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Originally Posted by GemmaD View Post
I wondered if I could please ask for some advice about one of my adult female tortoises? She weighs over 2 kg and I have introduced her to our adult male this spring. For a couple of weeks now, our usually quite and gentle tortoise has been butting and mounting the other tortoises. I assumed that might be because she's getting ready to lay but she's shown no interest in digging anywhere. They live in a greenhouse with an outside run and I've set up an area of deep, loosened top soil, with a slight slope underneath the lamps. Is there anything else I should do? Is it beginning to get too late in the year to lay now? Thank you for your help!
You have not said what speices:0)
My females do the same when they are gravid (carrying eggs) they particularly mount other females. One other sign when they are really ready is they start to swim on the lawn or soil, this is testing the soil for nesting by rotating round their back legs. Now a lot of keepers say build nests with heat etc, well my females must be different, as two will lay eggs in the lawn, near edging of slabs or other object such as my whirly pole:0) Two will on the odd occasion in the soil of the GH. I dont know where you are but my females once are eggy will pace around the garden and do the swimming thing. They can trial dig nests too (they can be really fussy) but it has to be warm enough for them to do this. So next week might be the time:0) As temps are supposed to be higher.
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Old 10-07-2021, 06:29 PM   #3
GemmaD
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Thank you! They are med spur thighs and we live in the UK. She's not done much even when it's been warm and sunny - usually just goes to bed, eats and butts! Perhaps, as you suggest, she just needs a bit longer and some warmer weather. I'm sure I once read that you could put them in a box of earth somewhere dark with a light directly over them to encourage them to lay. I can't remember where I read it though or if it's a good idea and I guess it may be that she's not ready and I'm just impatient!
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Old 10-07-2021, 06:56 PM   #4
sandy
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Thank you! They are med spur thighs and we live in the UK. She's not done much even when it's been warm and sunny - usually just goes to bed, eats and butts! Perhaps, as you suggest, she just needs a bit longer and some warmer weather. I'm sure I once read that you could put them in a box of earth somewhere dark with a light directly over them to encourage them to lay. I can't remember where I read it though or if it's a good idea and I guess it may be that she's not ready and I'm just impatient!

There are many spur - thighs, ibera, graeca, libyan, just to name three:0)
I live in the SE uk, and the weather here has been odd this year, but my females have already laid, but one usually lays twice, but not so far this year:0)
You can put them in a box of earth, but it never worked for mine, (that does not mean it does not work) but they can be really fussy and will lay where they want to rather than where we would like them too. I have seen one of my females trying to dig on slabs, so mine prefer hard dry soil. Its just a matter of waiting to see what your female likes :0)
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Old 10-07-2021, 09:04 PM   #5
tortydat
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One of my iberas has just laid her second clutch but the other two have just laid once. They seem to like hard ground like Sandy's but they are a bit late getting going this summer but there is still plenty of time if the weather improves.
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