That being said, with my simple technique, it is very easy to tell when your turtle has eggs. First, here's how to tell the sex of a turtle. For instance, if the turtle had 14 rings, you can guess that the turtle is 7 years old, as every 2 rings may represent a year. Required fields are marked *. This is the simplest and usually the best way to do things. Red Eared Sliders usually lay 2-20 eggs at one time. Years ago when I got my first turtle, I … If it caves inward, the turtle is most likely male, and if it doesn't cave inward, it's most likely female. Before you start checking if your turtle is pregnant, it’s a good idea to first check if your turtle really is a female. Yes, pet turtles are biologically just like wild turtles, so they can have babies just like wild turtles can. How Much Do Turtles Cost? You would see signs if the turtle had eggs..restless, no interest in food, etc., so don’t worry; not all do so…a musk turtle in my collection is 45 years old, and only produced eggs after mating…very variable. Will a turtle eat it’s own eggs? Excel templates. If you live in a house with a yard and it’s warm outside then you can go outdoors, if you don’t have access to a yard or it’s cold outside then you should go indoors. we have an adopted red eared slider and wonder if she is pregnant but have no idea how to tell. Yes. It should take her between 2 and 3 hours to lay all the eggs. Now there are two ways you can check. A turtle will have rings whether in captivity or the wild. If you put your fingers up against their stomach, you will know what it feels like if a turtle isn’t pregnant. 1. We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and turtles in general. A pregnant turtle will also display behavioral changes like: changes in her diet, … Not everybody has the time to take care of turtle eggs, and then baby turtles, so it’s completely understandable if you don’t want to keep them. You should use those methods when your turtle seems really desperate to get out of it’s tank. Okay so I've always sorta been a whore. There are usually a couple eggs on each side of the turtle’s stomach. Years ago when I got my first turtle, I made a ton of mistakes. Even if the whole process of laying the eggs can take between 2 and 3 hours, your turtle might have a specific time of the day when she wants to lay her eggs, so the best thing that you can do is to clace the container in a well naturally lit room, and leave her the entire day at her disposal, some turtles might want to lay their eggs in the morning, some during the night, there is specific time that turtles lay eggs at. Leave a Reply 0 comments * * Hi, I'm J and I'm the turtle-obsessed creator of this website. A pregnant box turtle will begin nesting and preparing for her eggs to be laid. The fact that your turtle is pregnant shouldn’t change the way you take care of her. IMO, I don't know if it is b/c it is gravid (pregnant). There are a few turtles that like to overeat in a situation like this. User in Birmingham, AL. You can easily tell if a turtle is pregnant by looking for visual and behavioral changes. If you suspect she is pregnant she needs to be handeled as little as possible, keep her cage and water really clean, and remove the male. My boyfriend and I are trying to breed them and I'm pretty sure my female is pregnant. Yes, if the eggs are not fertilized, sometimes turtles will eat the eggs if they are hungry. These signs appear after 3 weeks of pregnancy.First signs...You can not tell about the pregnancy in dogs immediately after mating. What to Expect and How to Prevent. Just like in this picture: Don’t pick your turtle by the plastron and the top of the shell, this can damage the eggs if your turtle is pregnant. The biggest problem of this method is that you shouldn’t be able to feel the eggs until your turtle is at least halfway through her pregnancy. You can gently touch the lower part of the carapace and see if you feel small bumps, those bumps are the eggs inside the turtle, they are very hard to see but you can definitely feel them. You should slide your fingers up the side of the turtle to feel around their stomach. When the ultrasound technician is looking for a boy, they are looking for something called the turtle sign.This is where you can see the tip of the penis peeking out from behind the testicles. Here are the most common ones. For example, in sulcata tortoises the females can reach 100 pounds and the males can grow to 200 pounds or more. If there is your turtle is gravid. So if you turtle is showing all of those signs then you should try to feel the carapace, or even better go to the vet and let him check. Hi, I'm Dillon and I'm the turtle-obsessed creator of this website. Captivity changes natural cycling etc, so there’s no way to predict when, if ever, eggs might be produced. Gently press one or two of your fingers on the side of the abdomen to palpate. Blog; Cookie Policy; Site Map; how to tell if a turtle is pregnant Another way to tell is to ask your veterinary surgeon to X-ray a water turtle you suspect may be pregnant - although … I know that it might seem a little weird, but you really need to check this first. The first step in telling if a turtle is pregnant is by noticing a change in behavior. This is because around 90% of sea turtle eggs are eaten by predators before they hatch. This is because in the wild a turtle usually digs and makes a nest for their turtle eggs. Your email address will not be published. A pregnant turtle might also have a change in their … The male turtle then climbs on top of her, and they mate. If the eggs are not fertilized then you can just throw them away, no babies will come out of them at this point. I am also the proud owner of one dog, 2 turtles and 24 fishes. The period can differ a lot based on the species, but in general it can last anywhere from 3 to 6 months. You shouldn’t press your fingers hard into their stomach. In that case the eggs are probably not fertilized, after all you need a male turtle to fertilize the eggs. The first one is to put one finger on the plastron and move it all over the plastron and see if you feel any bumps. When turtles mate, the female can retain the male's sperm and impregnate herself with it years later, so knowing when the turtle was last bred will not always dictate when they will lay eggs. After this article you are going to be able to find out if your turtle is pregnant or not, and if she is what you have to do. Now let’s start discussing the visual signs. Viewed 3k times 8. Above her back legs there is an enlarged "bubble" above each leg. The amount of eggs a turtle lays at once is entirely dependent on the breed of turtle. If your turtle is pregnant, you should be able to feel the eggs on both sides. Boys have longer and thicker tails. Unfortunately the visual signs are not too easy to spot. One key sign that your turtle is pregnant is if she starts digging at the basking platform. If you find our articles helpful, and you like our site we would like to ask for your help. If there is an egg you should feel that the egg will slightly push back after you pressed. Some things to look for include: The turtle is frantically trying to get out of the habitat. So you won’t be able to tell if your Box turtle is pregnant just by looking, but there is still something that you can do. Is your turtle restless?   This may be harder to see with some babies, which is why there are multiple signs to look for during an ultrasound. In Bedrock Edition, turtles spawn in groups of 2-6, at light level 7 or higher, at altitude 60-67. Lastly, pregnant turtles usually become very restless. My turtle is pregnant what do I do? How to tell if your tortoise is pregnant. If you want to keep the eggs or you are just curious how you can take care of turtle eggs then check out this article: How to Take Care of Turtle Eggs. A turtle that is pregnant will usually have a change in their basking routine. Can pet turtles have babies? If so, then she may be gravid. There are many signs that a turtle is gravid and needs to lay her eggs, and not all turtles will show all of these signs. This is because they are really easy to care for, and they are very cost-effective. Before getting into more details about the visual and behavioral changes I want you to remind you that a turtle can lay eggs even if there is no male around. You just have to offer her a proper place to lay her eggs when the time comes, so this shouldn’t impact you too much. When a turtle is pregnant she will do everything that she can to get out of the tank. On this site you will find articles that cover every basic thing that a turtle owner needs to know, as well as all the advanced stuff. There are quite a few behavioral changes that occur when a turtle is pregnant. If you want to help her find a place to lay her eggs faster than you should wet the ground before you let her out. I don't know if your turtles are big enough to mate yet. Now you can safely place the turtle in the container and wait for her to lay the eggs. If this doesn’t work, surgery is another option. Option 2. This is referred to as the incubation period. The key to this technique is to gently slide your fingers (one on each side) through the back end of the turtle. The reason why most turtles end up smelling is because... We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and tortoises. Then there is a good chance that the eggs are fertilized. So before you start checking if your turtle is pregnant first make sure that it’s a female turtle and not a male turtle. But taking care of turtle eggs is another subject that I’ve already covered in another article. Your email address will not be published. Restlessness. I recommend using your pointer fingers, as you can see in the picture below. So don’t do it like this: Then gently place it with the belly up in your other hand. If the eggs are fresh you can safely cook and eat them if you want. Since turtles have hard shells covering the majority of their body, you might be wondering how you can tell if a turtle is pregnant. The truth is that it is much harder to tell when a turtle is pregnant since the eggs are concealed and underneath the shell. 2. This is because a female turtle produces eggs on her own, and then the eggs are fertilized. A pregnant turtle might also have a change in their eating habits. If you use chemical fertilizers for your flowers, or plants, you should try to keep the turtle away from them, it’s not good for their health. A pregnant turtle will have small bumps from the eggs on her plastron. The best way to tell if your box turtle is pregnant is by the way she acts. Unlike in the case of mammals, the belly of a turtle won’t change too much in size when it’s pregnant, so you will need a hands on approach. Heating is very important, and she may refuse food (it's normal), but continue to offer food anyway and you may find that she is particular about … A pregnant turtle will also display behavioral changes like: changes in her diet, basking habits and she will try to escape the tank. 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