She consistently weighed 65lbs here, so I'd say she's still full of eggs.
Live naked people
- Thread starter Kapidolo Farms
- Start date
She consistently weighed 65lbs here, so I'd say she's still full of eggs.
Not to worry. I have faith in William's methods.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
Another two 55 gallon bags of pine straw and all the other two additions swept up into the ever broadening pile. It lost some height with both my and Medea's manipulations. There is a distinct path up and down. It does not really show in photos, two many browns and grays I guess. Alla and I have not seen here go to the food place or the water dish, so I put the old smaller water dish over on ;her' side of the palm frond forest and a few path tiles for her food and she drank and ate. Her reproductive rapture does know at least some bounds. She does appear to be on drugs, as far as tortoise expressions go.
I called that being in the zone.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
So today's weigh-in shows Medea at 67 pounds, and I got darth into the mix, his weight is 61 pounds of all man-tortoise. I did not re-weigh Phae today, she is pretty deep in the palm frond forest.
Boy, Darth is really growing! Pretty soon he'll be the biggest one.
For the naked people? I think you've got a long wait.
I am a very patient man
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
look in a mirror, get over it.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
An update here on Medea. Wednesday morning Tamara found an egg early in the morning, likely right after it was released. I check on the tortoises nearly every morning, and she was on the ground off the steep side of her mound, somewhat protected in the palm frond forest. When Tamara went out about an hour later she found Medea on top of the mound (she climb a nearly vertical side) and there was one egg on the ground and a small poop. I'm thinking it was an accident, she may indeed have a hard time coordinating which impulse and set of muscles does what exactly. The egg looks 'good' and is in one of three incubators set up for all ongoing potential production.
Medea has grown fully aware we are not predators, but allies to her. She does not pull her head in or react with any more than 'what food are you going to offer' as we put our hands near her. She readily gobbles down cumbers, squash, and whole heads of greens, and big slices of opuntia. That later seemingly a favorite.
This morning is rainy and overcast, but temps are highish at 64F. Her nest is well placed, she gets early morning sun, for about an hour or so, and many hours of mid to late afternoon. Mid day is shaded by a huge pine tree, just well enough to keep her in the rain shadow, she is high and dry even though it rained all night.
Medea has grown fully aware we are not predators, but allies to her. She does not pull her head in or react with any more than 'what food are you going to offer' as we put our hands near her. She readily gobbles down cumbers, squash, and whole heads of greens, and big slices of opuntia. That later seemingly a favorite.
This morning is rainy and overcast, but temps are highish at 64F. Her nest is well placed, she gets early morning sun, for about an hour or so, and many hours of mid to late afternoon. Mid day is shaded by a huge pine tree, just well enough to keep her in the rain shadow, she is high and dry even though it rained all night.
So now you know you don't have to dig through the nest. She's still holding the eggs.
What sort of clutch size is expected with the manouria?
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
They produce the largest single clutch of any non aquatic chelonian, exceeding 80 eggs from the largest adult females. Medea has laid about 40 in a single clutch before. This is from recall. I'll look for a researched answer later.
She averages 50 eggs per clutch.
Wow. I'm guessing there is a high risk of becoming prey in the wild.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
So my quick at home lit search tells me 51 eggs is the high. I believe a woman Vicki Bowman? had a group, her female was one of the largest know and it laid some 80 eggs, but perhaps my memory is at fault? Either way, It's many.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,172
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
HHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Weigh in yesterday was after a huge meal of about three pounds of food. There was going to be no weighing until after she ate, she was chasing me around. Two good signs in one. She weighed 64.6 pounds after eating. Weight loss and off the mound for Saturday afternoon through to today Monday. Hmm time to go on an egg hunt. I found one egg as a slowly and carefully probed about the nest. The nest is like a pie wedge against the fence and the palm frond forest. The two axis against these two barriers were each about 8 feet long. The pile at it solid top was 20 inches, the fluffiness on top of that is pine straw not yet compacted.
Well by the time my careful search was over I found zero eggs other than the nighthouse one from many weeks ago, and the accidental pooped egg about a week ago, and one right now. Three total if that got a little confusing.
Alla was watching the whole process in great anticipation, and when no bounty of eggs was found she pointed at Medea and said "dinner". Russians from Soviet times are very pragmatic.
I am wondering now where the weight and or eggs are? Was all that for those three eggs, better luck next year? Does she still have eggs in her? If after another few weeks she still looks okay and is eating and pooping I will seek a radiograph. If she starts to seem "off" at all, that trip to the vet might come sooner.
Well by the time my careful search was over I found zero eggs other than the nighthouse one from many weeks ago, and the accidental pooped egg about a week ago, and one right now. Three total if that got a little confusing.
Alla was watching the whole process in great anticipation, and when no bounty of eggs was found she pointed at Medea and said "dinner". Russians from Soviet times are very pragmatic.
I am wondering now where the weight and or eggs are? Was all that for those three eggs, better luck next year? Does she still have eggs in her? If after another few weeks she still looks okay and is eating and pooping I will seek a radiograph. If she starts to seem "off" at all, that trip to the vet might come sooner.
Similar threads
