Recuperating Egyptian

Illinibunny

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Feb 21, 2014
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14
Hello,

I have a female Egyptian, 8 years old, whose medical history can be found in introductions under egyptian tortoise was egg bound. Buddy is now back to eating normally. In her CT scan, more developing eggs were seen. Her original problem was an oversized egg stuck in her pelvis.

She is in a 4x6 table with a 10.0 Reptisun fluorescent and a 100 w SunForce mercury vapor light. A third of the area is covered hides. She always has a shallow wading pond available for water and the substrate is primarily crushed oyster shell. A slope topped with growing grass is ground coir and oyster shell and sand for possible egg laying. She is in with another female who is her age but from a different clutch and a five year old male who so far shows seasonal interest in the girls. He is definitely male as he has showed himself off and has a tail twice as long as the girls'. Temps run from 70f in the hides to 95f directly under the lights. I keep the hides at 50-70% humidity.

They eat endive, romaine, radicchio, collards, mustard, etc. in the winter, and grasses, weeds and dandelion flowers in the summer. all dusted with RepCal calcium with D3 and Reptivite.

I have raised all three from 3month old hatchlings.

Is there anything else I need to do for eventual eggs? I am still reeling after the medical emergency we just survived, and I want to make sure everything goes well.

Thanks for any input.

Donna
 

Yvonne G

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I don't know anything about the Egyptian tortoises other than the fact that they are awfully cute! I hope you have much success in the future with eggs and no more problems.
 

Illinibunny

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Feb 21, 2014
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jaketheskate said:
I would love to see a pic of ur torts and enclosure!

I'll try to post some this week. I certainly wish I had found this forum when they were growing up. The breeder I got them from advocated keeping them dry. I never left them without water available, so that might have increased the humidity enough so that they don't look as pyramided as they might have.

Donna


Yvonne G said:
I don't know anything about the Egyptian tortoises other than the fact that they are awfully cute! I hope you have much success in the future with eggs and no more problems.

Yvonne, I wanted to thank you for your encouraging posts last week.

Donna
 

Illinibunny

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Feb 21, 2014
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Bud, our male, doesn't seem to care if he mounts from the front rear or side. He makes more of a cricket sound. I don't know if he has ever actually gotten it right yet. Sometimes he goes to town all by himself. I work, so I can't say what happens when I'm away. Usually, by 11 a.m. They are in their hides sleeping.

As for their names, I allowed my husband to name them. He named the girls Buddy and Buddie because they looked alike. When we got the male, he called him Bud.

Donna
 

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Hi, my thoughts to egg binding is to check your husbandry, meaning food, calcium intake, enough fiber etc. I feed a lot of different food, also grown sprouts etc. They have a high metabolism based on the heat. Even though everybody says feed them not too much, i feed mine plenty so they can get up to their needs. The left over i put away. In winter it is a bit more difficult with the variety, but i shredd chicoree for example and ad ground up hey. etc. Are the lights, UVB temp ok.
enclosure and humidity etc.
just a thought.
Annette
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Well Donna it's your turn to help me . I have 3 baby 2 yrs olds how big do they get ? How old before they breed . Thank you
 
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