Sulcata laying eggs gradually

[tmundy2790]

My sulcata has started laying eggs for the first time this year. She is 5 years old and about 40 pounds. She started laying in mid may and I keep finding eggs to this day. The largest lay was 6 eggs, and I have found about 20; not to mention any I may have never seen.

My understanding is that sulcatas are supposed to lay all at once, so I am wondering if this is cause for concern.

She lives outside in my yard which is about 2500 square feet

 

[Maro2Bear]

So the one obvious question, has your tort been with another tort? I’m guessing a young/unfertilized female’s body doesn’t quite know what to do.

 

[tmundy2790]

So the one obvious question, has your tort been with another tort? I’m guessing a young/unfertilized female’s body doesn’t quite know what to do.

She had limited contact with a male sulcata previously, but has not seen one in 8 months. They were rarely together, but he did get on top of her a few times. She has spent almost her entire life segregated from other tortoises.

 

[Tom]

My sulcata has started laying eggs for the first time this year. She is 5 years old and about 40 pounds. She started laying in mid may and I keep finding eggs to this day. The largest lay was 6 eggs, and I have found about 20; not to mention any I may have never seen.

My understanding is that sulcatas are supposed to lay all at once, so I am wondering if this is cause for concern.

She lives outside in my yard which is about 2500 square feet

Is she digging a nest, or dropping them on the surface?

They lay from about January through April. I might get one last clutch in May, but never beyond that.

 

[tmundy2790]

Is she digging a nest, or dropping them on the surface?

They lay from about January through April. I might get one last clutch in May, but never beyond that.

Not really that I have observed. Most of the eggs have been in her little hide in her shed or under her lamp in her shed. Today one came out while soaking. I live in Illinois at the moment, so she spent most of this past winter in a shed. She wasn’t lock up all winter prior so this could have throw her off leading to holding the eggs later. Just speculating.

 

[Tom]

Not really that I have observed. Most of the eggs have been in her little hide in her shed or under her lamp in her shed. Today one came out while soaking. I live in Illinois at the moment, so she spent most of this past winter in a shed. She wasn’t lock up all winter prior so this could have throw her off leading to holding the eggs later. Just speculating.

Its good that she's dropping them, but weird the way she is doing it. We call it being "egg bound" when they don't have a suitable place (suitable in THEIR mind...) and retain their eggs. It can be fatal. With no male present, she will probably stop laying after this batch.