Habitat - Outdoor :: is this wierd behavior???

[Scarlett]

OK.. here is the situation...we have a turtle named Hurbert that we have had for about 4 years..we have always thought he was a guy turtle..well I guess because my son named him HERBERT =). We have reccentlly moved into a house with a KOI fish pond, it is about a 400 gal pond, and he has been there about 3 month, well... this week he has decided to climb out, jump off the deck area, and into the yard to dig, but he is not digging to get out of the fence, it seems "he" is digging a little hole..and this morning my children called me to let me know that Herbert is in the yard and they think HE is laying eggs...HELP.. he(she) has never been near another turtle, and I would reallllllly appreciate a little advice about sexing to see if he is a girl... or just a little confused...THANKS...Scarlett~~~~

[missibsu]

Female red ear sliders...which it sounds like you have...will lay eggs even when a male is not present. The eggs of course are not fertilized, and can be gotten rid of.

Here is a site that provides more information
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Nestsites.htm

[steve]

If she's digging with her hind legs, then she's making a nest. It could take her a few hours until she's done (she'll dig a hole, lay eggs then cover the hole)... just leave her alone and she'll return to the pond when she's finished. She won't guard or protect the nest, so you could remove the eggs and discard them if you want to.

If your turtle has a short tail and short nails, its a girl.

[Scarlett]

Thanks for the info... YES.. it is official.. Herbert is a girl...She dug her hole, laid 4 eggs, and got back in her pond. I thought she would just be ravenous after all that work, but she didn't really want to eat for about 2 days after... is that typicall? We are planning to set her up a pond of her own, where we can put her little feeder fish in with her, she is now in a KOI pond, that is serving as her turtle home, but we would like to get some KOI, and although Herbert would not mind the new neighbors, and I think she may quite enjoy them... literally...they are too expensive tro be snacks... Thanks for the GREAT web site...will post pics hopefully when we get her set up... THANKS YALL~~ Scarlett

[reptilegrrl]

I'm glad Herbert laid her eggs successfully. It's lucky that she had a place where she could go to lay them, so she did not bind. That's one reason I am glad Al is a boy!

How old was Herbert when you got her? I ask because if she was an adult, the eggs might have been fertilized. Female turtles can keep fertilized ova in their bodies for a long time before they actually develop eggs and lay them.

[Scarlett]

We bought Herbert as an illegal turtle I am sure at a flea market in Florida, she was probably the size of a quarter, she was soooooo cute. We have had her about 4 years. She was the size of an egg when we got her I am very glad also that she knew exactlly what to do so she did not get sick. The more I have read the more I am aware that she could have become so sick and died if she had not gotten out and laid those eggs. Thanks for all your help, my children have started enjoying this site too... we love ya Scarlett