Can a female turtle lay eggs without mating?

Disha Pandurangi

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I've a red slider eared tortoise, I was shocked to see eggs today morning in its tub, can a tortoise lay eggs? How frequently do they do it?
 

ascott

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I've a red slider eared tortoise, I was shocked to see eggs today morning in its tub, can a tortoise lay eggs? How frequently do they do it?


I am guessing that you mean a Red Ear Slider Turtle? If yes, then just put this one to memory....and I am only sharing not being a jerk...:D

A Turtle can be called a turtle
A Tortoise can be called a turtle
But a Turtle can never be a tortoise

Yes, a female Turtle as well as a female Tortoise can and do lay eggs...just part of their natural function and they do not need to share time with a male to produce eggs....now, there will be no baby turtles from those eggs and more times than not...the female will likely consume those eggs if left access to them...and the number of eggs laid in a year varies depending on the individual turtle....some none ever, some once a year up to 4 different times a year...anywhere from 2 to 7 or 8 eggs (without a male)....

I would be sure to offer at least a dry basking area that the turtle can deposit the eggs on and some folks will set up above tank space (look up turtle tank toppers on Google) for the turtle...others will learn the signals from the turtle and will then offer secure outside time to allow digging and bury of the eggs???? you can decide what works....and yes, a turtle will "most" of the time deposit the eggs in the water if no other options available....HOWEVER, there are some turtles that will retain the egg/eggs for too long, those eggs can harden and then be difficult to pass....I personally wait and let the turtle work it out with the space available..others will quickly run the turtle to the vet for shots or surgery...to me, if the turtle can not work it out then the turtle will have to be subjected to the stress of shots or surgery each and every time they have to drop eggs....if you find eggs in your turtle tank, that is a good sign that the turtle can and has worked it out....you will get to know what signs your turtle offer up for lead up to / time of dropping them and after signs....
 

Gillian M

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Sorry, do not know. Please post pics of your tort, her enclosure and the eggs.

And a very warm welcome to the forum!
 

Alexio

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Yupp it's how we knew we had a Mrs. feeny instead of a Mr. feeny.
My girlfriend found an unfertilized egg sitting on a rock in her red ear sliders tank a few years ago.
 

enchilada

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yes they can, just like chicken.
you can make little fried eggs of it. turtle eggs tastes not so good if just boiled. maybe add more spice will help
 

tglazie

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I am guessing that you mean a Red Ear Slider Turtle? If yes, then just put this one to memory....and I am only sharing not being a jerk...:D

A Turtle can be called a turtle
A Tortoise can be called a turtle
But a Turtle can never be a tortoise

Actually, a freshwater turtle can be referred to as a tortoise in Australia. The delineation is weird as it pertains to the English language. Americans call all shelled creatures turtles, reserving the word tortoise for those animals in the family Testudinae, while reserving the word terrapin to the members of the Malaclemys genus (which is weird, but it's what I grew up with, so yeah). The Brits use terrapin for every freshwater turtle, use tortoise for any shelled reptile of primarily terrestrial habit (hence box tortoise and not box turtle), and use turtle to refer to marine turtles. Then you have the Aussies, who simply refer everything as a tortoise, despite pressure from those familiar with the variety of chelonians in the world to change this blanket designation.

But yeah, me personally, I prefer the American colloquial designations.

T.G.
 

ascott

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Here, in the United States, Turtle is a blanket word used more commonly by folks not familiar with the idea there is difference between an aquatic animal and a land animal.....funny thing is, I have never ever heard anyone refer to a Box Turtle as a Box Tortoise...ever. I suppose the way folks use different words in different parts of the world are ever different.....even if not correct.
 
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