Is there a recommended protocol for taking a turtle that *might* be gravid outside to give her a shot at nesting? Frequency, time of day, etc.? I didn't really consider the possibility until I started reading some more here and I mean, she is a 5-year-old female turtle. She's never laid an egg that I know of, but she is pretty restless in her tank. Course, the tank's still smaller than ideal, so that could be the reason. No real difference in eating that I've noticed, either more or less.
I'm not sure I could feel for eggs without endangering myself or her, and she's not very handle-able so I know just handling her at all would stress her out, but there's definitely no way I could easily set up a nest box/basking area combo that's accessible from her tank, at least not as we have things configured currently. Fortunately I live in balmy Florida, and have plenty of access to sandy outdoor areas (though I also do worry about her getting away from us in an uncontained open outdoor space, even with supervision ...)
Should I just not panic unless an egg appears? Or should we try to take her outside for awhile every week or so to get her used to it and give her the opportunity to nest if she needs to?
Also would love some recommendations for floating tank plants that she can eat safely. I'm pretty sure I can forage water hyacinth locally if that's safe ... otherwise, is there a good online source for buying plants or do nurseries generally carry appropriate species?