Turtle question

[riley_bla41000]

Okay, so I was just thinking about chickens and I was wondering if turtles could lay an egg like chickens do? Like can they lay an egg without a baby turtle inside it? And if they can, why don't they do it as much as chickens do? I know this is a stupid question but I'm just a little curious! Thanks!

 

[riley_bla41000]

Can they lay infertile eggs is what I'm asking

 

[leigti]

I know tortoises can and do lay in fertile eggs. that is the extent of my knowledge on this topic, sorry.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Can they lay infertile eggs is what I'm asking

yea, my russian has layer 20+ eggs that where all infertile

 

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Yes they can lay infertile eggs. Why dont they do it much as chickens is actually a simple answer. Chickens have been so selectively breed for egg production for 1000s of years to get them to lay that many eggs.

So turtles still follow the instinct to produce future generations. So for them its pointless to keep producing infertile eggs when nothing will come of it.

 

[riley_bla41000]

thanks for y'all's answers

 

[Berkeley]

Yes they can lay infertile eggs. Why dont they do it much as chickens is actually a simple answer. Chickens have been so selectively breed for egg production for 1000s of years to get them to lay that many eggs.

So turtles still follow the instinct to produce future generations. So for them its pointless to keep producing infertile eggs when nothing will come of it.

Agreed. It is also partly a physiological thing too. Chickens are warmblooded, turtles are not. Warmblooded creatures have a metabolic rate that is worlds different than a turtle's: they are always taking in nutrients and have fuel/energy reserves that can allow for extra reproduction efforts. You will sometimes see something along these lines with really well-fed captive turtles. Somebody's female sulcata or redear willl drop some eggs, even though they have never mated with a male. It's just extra energy reserves that could be expendable, and were not necessary for immediate survival.
--Berkeley

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I actually had my female sliders lay infertile eggs last year.
Almost ten I dug up out of their nesting boxes, one I spotted ms RES eating, a couple more in the water of both tubs, and one I t/found on land I tried to incubate just for experience and it blew up due to gas.
I investigated and discovered some turtles may mate, and the female is unsuccessful at producing fertile eggs... may be the female, may be the male!

 

[tglazie]

Yeah, turtles are weird. A friend of mine has a pond full of female redears. He segregates any males he rescues to keep from having a red ear problem, and anyone who has ever bred this species can attest to the serious problem reproductive age red ears can create. Despite the lack of males, he has at least four or five that always end up laying eggs in some random corner of his yard.

T.G.