Happy Turtles Pub

Egg Laying

Turtles are like chickens; they lay eggs all the time, regardless of whether they are fertilized. Most turtles will lay once a year. However, females in captivity may lay multiple times a year.

Egg Binding

When a female can not find an appropriate nesting spot, she may not lay her clutch. The eggs harden and calcify inside of her body. Once they are calcified, they can not pass through her cloaca. This is known as egg binding, and it is fatal.

There are multiple ways to take care of egg binding. If it is caught early, a hormone injection (given by the vet), will usually do the trick. Other options are the vet extracting the eggs, or surgery. As you can imagine, these last two are very difficult to do on a turtle. If your turtle is egg bound, see a qualified reptile vet. If you can't find one, a vet that specializes in birds may also be able to help since birds can also have this problem.

Nesting Area

The nesting area should have lots of loose sand/soil so the turtle can dig and should closely resemble an area a turtle would seek out in the wild. Different species prefer different substrates, for example - a mixture of sand/soil for Red Eared Sliders, but a mixture of leafy litter and the addition of logs for Mud and Musk Turtles. Make sure any substrate is free of chemicals/pesticides ("organic" would be the best possible choice). The substrate should be deep enough for the female to dig down to (approximately as deep as her body length... for most turts that would be at least 10 inches deep). The egg laying area should be dark, quiet and secluded... and a heat emitter is recommended, since the female prefers to lay her eggs in a warm spot. The egg-laying area can be constructed out of different materials, like wood, or a big plastic tub/bin can be used (preferably not the see-through kind, since it will stress your turtle even more).

Signs of Egg Laying

Kicking at back legs (not to remove loose skin)
Attempting to escape from the tank
Digging
Laying an egg in the water