Question...

[bllauben]

Some info: My Boris is 5 inches wide. Sonya is about 6 inches.

Recently (within the last week), Sonya has been incredibly active compared to normal. Her appetite has increased dramactically. She ate about 2/3 of a head of romaine lettuce (Boris got the rest of it). She then started tearing into another head of lettuce (not romaine. Endive, I think).

Her normal behavior is quite mute and slow. A head of romaine lettuce normally lasts both of them 2 days (I do feed them a variety of other lettuces most days of the week. Romaine is a treat every two weeks or after the other lettuces have been used). Lasted her one day. As hard as it is to believe, my torts regulate the amount they eat and are not pudgy by any means. Some days they eat a lot and will barely eat the next day. Some days they eat "regular" meals. I free feed. I give them a little in the morning and just keep adding food if they clear it. Been that way for the last year and a half that I've had them.

Also, the cuttlebone, for the first time since I've had them, is showing signs of use.

Any ideas what might be going on with Sonya? This is new behavior for her.

Thanks!
--Beth

 

[GBtortoises]

What is the ambient temperature during the daytime that they are being maintained at how often are they given access to drinking water? The tortoise in question-is her feces solid and dark?

 

[bllauben]

What is the ambient temperature during the daytime that they are being maintained at how often are they given access to drinking water? The tortoise in question-is her feces solid and dark?

Water: I sunk in a shallow bowl a bit wider than Sonya. I keep that full of water at all times. Truth be told, I have never seen my torts drink. They like to lay in it. The substrate (60/40 ECO Earth coconut coir/sand) is moist enough where it forms a crumbly ball when squeezed together.

At the warm end, I also have a saucer from a pot that I piled river rock on and poured water to fill the saucer for extra humidity.

Her feces: semi solid (they look normal-not runny and no hard like a cat's) and dark greenish/brownish (reminds me of an earthy color).

Day time temp on the hot end is between 95 and 100F. The cool end (I used 4 tiles to create a 3 sided box for them to sleep in) is between 70 and 75F. The substrate in the box feels like very cool moist soil under a leafy bush.

I get paid every 2 weeks. So, I buy a variety of lettuces (all tort safe, but hardly the same type of lettuce in the same month) and during the 13 and 14 day, they get a head of romaine as a treat. Once a month, I throw in their favorite vegetable (usually a squash of some sort). As a special treat (once every few months), they might get kiwi, catcus fruit (when in season), papaya (Boris' favorite) or an apple. When I use bell peppers, I give them the tops and let them eat the little bit of pepper off of the stem. Carrots on occassion.

Soakings are once a week for about an hour at a time. Enough water to reach just under their chins.

--Beth

 

[GBtortoises]

Based on the information that you gave, which is very good by the way, it doesn't sound there should be any problems related to diet, temperatures or their enclosure set up, assuming that they're all a constant and nothing is being changed dramatically.
Quite often increased activity, food consumption and calcium intake is a sign of a female preparing to produce eggs. Not a guarantee, but I see my own female Russians and other Testudo species do those same things, especially the increased activity and calcium intake. In particular is the calcium intake. My Russian females never consume addtional calcium until prior to egg production and especially after nesting. The rest of the year they never touch it. I have personally never seen a male Russian tortoise consume calcium at all.

 

[bllauben]

Based on the information that you gave, which is very good by the way, it doesn't sound there should be any problems related to diet, temperatures or their enclosure set up, assuming that they're all a constant and nothing is being changed dramatically.
Quite often increased activity, food consumption and calcium intake is a sign of a female preparing to produce eggs. Not a guarantee, but I see my own female Russians and other Testudo species do those same things, especially the increased activity and calcium intake. In particular is the calcium intake. My Russian females never consume addtional calcium until prior to egg production and especially after nesting. The rest of the year they never touch it. I have personally never seen a male Russian tortoise consume calcium at all.

The only thing that has changed in their enclosure is the seedling that one of them "planted." Acorn squash seedling to be exact (which grow at incredible rates).

Considering she has stopped growing, it makes sense. I am looking into getting a bigger enclosure. Due to an emergency, I was never able to use this years' tax return to make a new one.

I'll keep an eye on her and see what she does. She appears to be very healthy and alert. Bought two more cuttlebones for her.

It would be interesting to see if she lays any fertile eggs. Boris has not been as aggressive in mating as he was last year. Sonya just let him have at her. She did not fight him at all (which surprises me).

Thanks for the info!
--Beth

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

My male and female have recently done the same kind of reversal. Early in the season the male was more active, now it's the female. I suspect it might have something to do with their behavior in the wild. In Central Asia, both sexes are active for only about 3 months in spring and early summer. However, the males both emerge from brumation sooner than the females do, and go back into aestivation sooner as well (Lagarde et al. 2003, attached). I think we might be seeing a little bit of that here in captivity as well.

I do agree with GBTort's thought, however, that your female might be gravid as well.

 

[bllauben]

I noticed in the last few days, she has been digging, loosing interest and walking away. Normally if she digs, she burrows herself. She's not doing that now. Still going after the calcium. The feeding frenzy has quited down, but she is still eating more than normal and been more active. Today, she pushed her food dish out of the way to dig right underneath it. Then she decided she was not interested in that spot.

I am really beginning to wonder if Boris got her. He normally is highly agressive towards her. He only was agressive with her for a few weeks then quit all of the sudden...which is not typical with him.

She also expelled clear liquid (like she was urinating). I thought urinates were white...not clear watery (although the husband forgot the torts in the bathtub for a couple of hours yesterday).

Is there a way to tell for sure if she is gravid?

--Beth

 

[dmmj]

it sounds like you have a gravid tortoise. The liquid discharge is her most likely trying to make the ground softer, make sure she has access to lots of water. the test hole digging, it all adds up to a gravid tortoise.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

it sounds like you have a gravid tortoise. The liquid discharge is her most likely trying to make the ground softer, make sure she has access to lots of water. the test hole digging, it all adds up to a gravid tortoise.

Wow, that's exciting! BLLauben, it sounds like you might soon get some baby torties. I hope your female is able to find the right spot to lay her eggs in.

 

[Tom]

Exciting stuff. Keep us posted. Sounds to me like you'll have some eggs really soon too.