Home › Forums › Diamondback Terrapins › egg help
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June 26, 2015 at 1:24 pm #23363nilesgirl_kate
Hi,Our 6 year old DBT has been holding 2 eggs for about a month. Up until now, the eggs have been in the center area of her cavity. I have been lifting her into her “sandbox” every few days, and she just wanted out. Today she is sluggish, prefering to just sit on top of her basking pad, and she wouldn’t eat. I felt for the eggs, and they have moved down towards her rump. I assume she is now actually getting ready to lay them, but she still was not interested in digging when I put her in her sandbox tank. It is a 12 x 30 x18″tall aquarium, filled with 7″ of damp sand. The surface of the sand is 84-87 degrees throughout the area.Maybe it is normal not to eat as a terrapin gets ready to lay her eggs, but it seems like she’s been holding for a long time. Two years ago, she dropped eggs in the water, before I knew how to feel for them. Last year, she didn’t have any eggs. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me.Thank you, Kate in Fremont, CA
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June 26, 2015 at 1:30 pm #23364Pete
Kate sounds like she is egg bound. This means the eggs are too big and she can not pass them. You need to take it to the vet and have them do an x-ray to see what is happening. Vet might have to pop the eggs and take them out. Pete Jansema Waterlandtubs 1050 W. Katella Ave #E Orange, CA 92867 Cell 714-745-8878 / Fx 714-974-5409 On 6/26/2015 10:24 AM, katelipman@… [diamondbackterrapins] wrote:
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June 26, 2015 at 2:06 pm #23365nilesgirl_kate
That is what I was afraid might be happening. I am trying to make an appointment now. Thanks!KateFrom: “Pete pete@… [diamondbackterrapins]”
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June 26, 2015 at 4:06 pm #23366dbtnut
Hi Kate, I have been breeding ornates for years and started this group many years ago. Your turtle may not be egg bound at all but just does not like the laying option you are giving her. I have one female that refuses to lay where the others do so I have to take her to the park. I go very early in the morning before any kids show up and put her in the sand box by the play equipement. She takes off like a shot and wonders around putting her nose to the ground to sniff out a likely spot to dig. Eventually she finds a spot to her liking and digs her nest and lays her eggs. If there is no sand dirt should work as long as there aren’t grass roots. She also digs test holes and walks away from them if she doesn’t like how they feel. The other day she was digging in a really nice spot and had completed the hole but walked away because there was a flat rock at the bottom. Argh!!! Even with my other females the conditions have to be “just right” before they will lay in their laying “yard”. One clue to know she is ready will be her sniffing at the ground. I have found if turtles are not ready to lay they could care less about the substrate you put them on and won’t sniff. My one picky female never sniffs in the laying yard that I have even though she is ready. I can always tell when she is ready though because she will spend the whole day trying to get out of her “pond” and her eggs will be back by her tail. So before you spend the money for the vet try taking her outside where she can choose her own spot. Just be ready with a container for the eggs. Vickie Hays Group owner —–Original Message—– From: katelipman@… [diamondbackterrapins] <diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com To: diamondbackterrapins <diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, Jun 26, 2015 10:24 am Subject: [diamondbackterrapins] egg help Hi, Our 6 year old DBT has been holding 2 eggs for about a month. Up until now, the eggs have been in the center area of her cavity. I have been lifting her into her “sandbox” every few days, and she just wanted out. Today she is sluggish, prefering to just sit on top of her basking pad, and she wouldn’t eat. I felt for the eggs, and they have moved down towards her rump. I assume she is now actually getting ready to lay them, but she still was not interested in digging when I put her in her sandbox tank. It is a 12 x 30 x18″tall aquarium, filled with 7″ of damp sand. The surface of the sand is 84-87 degrees throughout the area. Maybe it is normal not to eat as a terrapin gets ready to lay her eggs, but it seems like she’s been holding for a long time. Two years ago, she dropped eggs in the water, before I knew how to feel for them. Last year, she didn’t have any eggs. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. Thank you, Kate in Fremont, CA
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June 26, 2015 at 4:34 pm #23367Pete from Waterlandtubs.com
Vicki is right the more options you give a turtle the better off they are. The problems you described was similar to one of my concentrics. Had to take her in because egg was twice the size of the other. It saved her life.Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone——– Original message ——–From: “modelgrafx@… [diamondbackterrapins]” Date:06/26/2015 1:06 PM (GMT-08:00) To: diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [diamondbackterrapins] egg help Hi Kate, I have been breeding ornates for years and started this group many years ago. Your turtle may not be egg bound at all but just does not like the laying option you are giving her. I have one female that refuses to lay where the others do so I have to take her to the park. I go very early in the morning before any kids show up and put her in the sand box by the play equipement. She takes off like a shot and wonders around putting her nose to the ground to sniff out a likely spot to dig. Eventually she finds a spot to her liking and digs her nest and lays her eggs. If there is no sand dirt should work as long as there aren’t grass roots. She also digs test holes and walks away from them if she doesn’t like how they feel. The other day she was digging in a really nice spot and had completed the hole but walked away because there was a flat rock at the bottom. Argh!!! Even with my other females the conditions have to be “just right” before they will lay in their laying “yard”. One clue to know she is ready will be her sniffing at the ground. I have found if turtles are not ready to lay they could care less about the substrate you put them on and won’t sniff. My one picky female never sniffs in the laying yard that I have even though she is ready. I can always tell when she is ready though because she will spend the whole day trying to get out of her “pond” and her eggs will be back by her tail. So before you spend the money for the vet try taking her outside where she can choose her own spot. Just be ready with a container for the eggs. Vickie Hays Group owner —–Original Message—– From: katelipman@… [diamondbackterrapins]
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June 26, 2015 at 4:56 pm #23368nilesgirl_kate
Ah, very interesting. The thing that made me worried is that she was not interested in food at all, and wanted to just sit up on her sunning platform, even though the light wasn’t on yet. Wish I would have thought of writing you all earlier. The vet is taking x-rays now, so I’ll keep you informed.Thanks,KateFrom: “‘Pete from Waterlandtubs.com’ pete@… [diamondbackterrapins]” <diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Vicki is right the more options you give a turtle the better off they are. The problems you described was similar to one of my concentrics. Had to take her in because egg was twice the size of the other. It saved her life.Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone——– Original message ——–From: “modelgrafx@… [diamondbackterrapins]” Date:06/26/2015 1:06 PM (GMT-08:00) To: diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [diamondbackterrapins] egg help Hi Kate, I have been breeding ornates for years and started this group many years ago. Your turtle may not be egg bound at all but just does not like the laying option you are giving her. I have one female that refuses to lay where the others do so I have to take her to the park. I go very early in the morning before any kids show up and put her in the sand box by the play equipement. She takes off like a shot and wonders around putting her nose to the ground to sniff out a likely spot to dig. Eventually she finds a spot to her liking and digs her nest and lays her eggs. If there is no sand dirt should work as long as there aren’t grass roots. She also digs test holes and walks away from them if she doesn’t like how they feel. The other day she was digging in a really nice spot and had completed the hole but walked away because there was a flat rock at the bottom. Argh!!! Even with my other females the conditions have to be “just right” before they will lay in their laying “yard”. One clue to know she is ready will be her sniffing at the ground. I have found if turtles are not ready to lay they could care less about the substrate you put them on and won’t sniff. My one picky female never sniffs in the laying yard that I have even though she is ready. I can always tell when she is ready though because she will spend the whole day trying to get out of her “pond” and her eggs will be back by her tail. So before you spend the money for the vet try taking her outside where she can choose her own spot. Just be ready with a container for the eggs. Vickie Hays Group owner —–Original Message—– From: katelipman@… [diamondbackterrapins] <diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com To: diamondbackterrapins <diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, Jun 26, 2015 10:24 am Subject: [diamondbackterrapins] egg help Hi, Our 6 year old DBT has been holding 2 eggs for about a month. Up until now, the eggs have been in the center area of her cavity. I have been lifting her into her “sandbox” every few days, and she just wanted out. Today she is sluggish, prefering to just sit on top of her basking pad, and she wouldn’t eat. I felt for the eggs, and they have moved down towards her rump. I assume she is now actually getting ready to lay them, but she still was not interested in digging when I put her in her sandbox tank. It is a 12 x 30 x18″tall aquarium, filled with 7″ of damp sand. The surface of the sand is 84-87 degrees throughout the area. Maybe it is normal not to eat as a terrapin gets ready to lay her eggs, but it seems like she’s been holding for a long time. Two years ago, she dropped eggs in the water, before I knew how to feel for them. Last year, she didn’t have any eggs. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. Thank you, Kate in Fremont, CA Posted by: modelgrafx@…
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