Sulcata nesting

[murdocjunior]

Has anyone had to make a nesting spot for their sulcata becaus ethe grown was so hard? I heard of some making sand pits for them to lay in sand. if so do the like to lay in sand or rather dig their own hole? Thank you

 

[Katherine]

I have made nesting spots by digging out natural ground and replacing with a sandier loam that seemed easier to dig into in times when I thought our ground was too dense/heavy/claylike or the area they were in was too rocky/overrun with roots/hard to dig through. Multiple times actually in my earlier years of keeping nesting females I made nest spots. I have also recovered a massive number of eggs and not a single one has ever been from a 'designated nest spot'. I have since learned they can and will dig through anything. Maybe I just have stubborn tortoises, but artificial nest sites have never worked for me!

 

[Yvonne G]

If the female is having a hard time digging, she will pee on the spot and just continue trying.

In my experience, when I've tried to loosen the soil for a better digging area, the female has never used that spot. They much prefer to find their own spot.

 

[murdocjunior]

yes she continues to get it wet but its been over a week and she wont lay