Adult Female

[reptylefreek]

I haven't been on here in awhile so for those of you who dont know me, i own an approx. 20 year old female Leopard who i adopted this time last year. I've had quite the odd experience with her, so she gets alot of special treatment. She does live indoors, but has the option to be outside anytime she wants.

So my question: How does the whole egg laying part come into play? Do females lay eggs through out their life even without a male present? She has been doing this really odd digging, but she wont do it outside, only in our bathroom in a corner where the bath tub meets the wall. She also pees and poops only in this area lately. She reminds me of a dog thats potty trained. She literally only goes to the bathroom in the bathroom, where she also does this motion where it looks like she wants to dig. So should i be worried that she's trying to lay eggs? Or is this just a quirky thing?

 

[Yvonne G]

Now this is really starting to bug me. I write a whole chapter, almost a book, in answering your question (or other questions, other threads) and when I send it to post, I get a message that my post has been re-set and a bunch of other nonsense. And my long missive is gone. Argh-h-h!!

Here goes again:

Some females (any species) will lay eggs if they have a male with them or not, just like chickens do. Other females will lay only after having been bred. I have two adult female leopard tortoises that laid two clutches per year when the male lived with them, but now that he's gone, no more eggs in over a year.

When digging a nest, a female usually starts by scraping away the dirt with the front feet, but then she will turn around and start digging with the back feet.

When settling down for the night (not nesting) a leopard tortoise goes under a bush and scrapes a slight indentation in the dirt with the front feet.

Is there a reason why your tortoise can't go outside?

 

[reptylefreek]

No she goes outside all the time. She has her own door thats always open. But she does not try to dig outside. She just spends about a half hour trying to climb up the wall and bath tub, or something. Just worried me, if she couldn't find a spot to lay eggs would she just, damn i cant think of the word, but when they get eggs stuck inside. Or would just just eventually lay them anywhere. I'll have to get a video of her doing it, its not really digging just walking into/up the wall and bath tub.

 

[Tom]

Maybe she's trying to tell you she wants a bath. Ha ha. I'm just being silly, but how often do you soak her? Is there any dirt or an area where the dirt is soft enough to dig outside? Sounds like nesting behavior to me, but I'm no expert at Leopard breeding and nesting behavior.

 

[Nay]

Hi Jessica,
I have had my leopard a few years now (alone) and twice she has had eggs inside that we had to 'help' out. The first time she was digging, digging digging, and after writing here and getting advice, I had her xrayed and she had 3-4 eggs inside. I waited a little while and then decided to help with a couple injections. They passed and exactly a year later, she stopped eating, She had eggs again but this time one seemed to be in a different spot that I was told could cause her trouble. We waited for a time, maybe not as long as I could've and then gave her those injections again. I know those probably are not the safest things to do either, but did not want to chance having her need surgery. She has been outside since spring and last week there were 3 eggs in the pen. So maybe before I could have waited longer I don't know. But she seems Ok now. Those eggs were a surprise.
I was told make sure you have a deep enough substrate, most important. and a good hide, so she'll be comfy..
Good Luck Na

 

[reptylefreek]

Her previous owner worked at a vet, maybe ill call her up and see if she has ever laid before and see if she can get me a good deal on some xrays. thanks guy

 

[terrypin]

hi i have 3 adult females and one in particular will climb the walls when she is gravid and i have often found her standing erect on her hind legs right up against the wall.she only does this when she is gravid.i havent noticed either of the others doing it.
terry

 

[Tom]

Does letting them breed alleviate these problems? Anyone?

 

[Nay]

I think I asked the same question Tom, and Danny answered and said it actually encourages it more.Ya know the more you get the more you want!!!...
Na