Turtles are solitary animals, so you may hardly know if a turtle is pregnant, especially first-time owners. Of course, mature female turtles will become pregnant regardless of if the turtle has mated or not. If there’s no male involved, the eggs will be infertile and won’t hatch.
Like other reptiles, turtles carrying eggs are referred to as gravid. Still, we will use the word pregnant throughout this guide because new turtle keepers usually search this when looking for information on gravid turtles.
If your turtle is gravid, you should feel the eggs inside the shell, which feel like lumps in front of the hindlegs. If you are wondering whether a pregnant turtle will look different, you may be surprised as it looks normal. Perhaps slightly more bugled, but it’s most likely to be very hard to tell.
A turtle who needs to lay eggs requires extra care because she must lay them. You don’t want your turtle to become egg-bound, a condition known as dystocia or egg retention. It’s uncomfortable and painful and is among the most significant health threats to adult female turtles. Your turtle may take longer or fail to lay all the eggs she produces without the right conditions.
Read this guide to learn more about how you can tell if a turtle is pregnant, how to help your turtle lay eggs, causes of dystocia or egg retention, and much more.
How Do Turtles Have Babies?
Courtship and mating in turtles vary depending on the environment. Female turtles are only receptive during a brief period between the summer and fall when the temperatures range from around 50 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aquatic turtles start their courtship ritual by meeting face to face, and the male may stroke the female’s neck and face with the front claws. Receptive females will return the gesture, after which the ritual gets repeated a couple of times. The female then swims to the bottom of the water, where the pair copulates.
Terrestrial turtles have rougher courtship activities with the males rendering females immobile by nipping on their heads. They also use their claws to hold on to the top part of the female’s shell for copulation. Males will often square off with other males before the winner chases down the female.
Female turtles can store viable sperm in the oviduct for three years. As a result, a clutch of eggs can be fertilized by different males and use the stored sperm to lay up to three other clutches per season.
Nesting
Almost all turtle species lay the first clutch of eggs on the land about three to six weeks after copulation. Female aquatic turtles will venture on to land at night and search for a proper nesting ground. Scratching and smelling around helps her identify the best spot to make a nest. Using her flippers, she flings away loose sand, constructing a pit, and uses the rear flippers to shovel away sand to dig out an egg cavity in the sand.
After constructing the nest, the female begins secreting mucus and laying two to three eggs at a time. Eggs vary in size depending on the species and average size of the turtle. A clutch of turtle eggs can contain around 80 to 120 eggs. These have a flexible shell membrane that prevents breakage. Afterward, the female turtle uses her flippers to refill the nest with sand. This disguises the nest as predators are always lurking near nesting areas.
Incubation
Incubation typically ranges anywhere from 45 to 75 days, depending on the species and the environmental conditions in the area surrounding the nest. When the temperature is warm enough, the hatchlings break open the egg membrane with their egg teeth. The hatchlings uncurl their bodies and leave the eggshell en masse. These small groups of hatchlings make their way towards the open ocean or scamper into thick under bushes in the case of terrestrial turtles.
The first couple of days when the hatchlings emerge is the riskiest, with predators hunting them and their limbs still not strong enough to swim quickly. Baby turtles have a protruding yolk sac in the underside of the shell that they retain when they leave the eggshell. The yolk sac gets absorbed into the hatchling’s body, providing nourishment for those first couple of days necessary for survival. Hatchlings will often stick together for the first couple of weeks as it’s easier for them to survive in groups rather than getting hunted down while alone by the numerous predators.
How to Tell If a Turtle Is Pregnant?
When a turtle is gravid, she will display erratic behavior that’s different from what she usually does. The way she basks and eats changes drastically, and she starts to pace around and climb on stuff. On the appearance front, the belly becomes plumper while the arms and legs turn brighter/white on the inside. While these are some of the ways to know a turtle’s pregnant, the surest way is to have an x-ray done by a professional. An x-ray also provides other useful information, such as how many eggs the turtle has and any issues with the eggs.
Let’s study the physical and behavioral changes in detail.
Physical Changes in Pregnant Turtles
Different turtles show physical signs to a different degree. However, it’s common for all turtles to have slight bumps on the lower part of the carapace. The bumps are eggs, and you shouldn’t exert pressure on them. To check the turtle yourself, gently pick up the turtle and pet her because pregnant turtles dislike being handled. Feel the soft areas around the middle of the carapace using little to no pressure. If she is gravid already, you should feel the sides of the eggs. Remember that eggs that break inside the mother’s belly could risk her life. If unsure of yourself, consult a vet.
Some owners also say that the inside parts of the arms and legs turn white, but this may not be the case for all turtles.
Behavioral Changes in Gravid Turtles
Along with the physical signs, turtles also display specific changes in behavior. Mood swings are common in pregnant turtles, and you might notice unusual aggression and stress as the most common. Their appetite may go down, and she may prefer to bask for more extended periods than usual. However, some may avoid basking for several days. Digging is also a common practice as they dig holes on substrate, rocks, and sand for nesting. Also, she’s likely to use the hind legs to dig when she’s carrying eggs.
Stress during pregnancy is common in all species of turtles, caused by many factors such as tank mates, insufficient diet, lack of nesting space, physical pain, and more. The issues can lead to aggression, where fights are likely to start in the tank. If you handle the turtle during this time, you might also get a bite.
The appetite may fluctuate during the early stages of pregnancy because she sheens more energy to adjust to new bodily changes. Towards the end of the pregnancy, the appetite drops significantly due to fatigue resulting from carrying the eggs. Besides, she spends most of the time looking for a suitable nesting spot that distracts her from food needs. Some turtles also get a fever during pregnancy, but this is of little concern.
In the quest for finding the dream nesting zone, the turtle will go to insane lengths, including attempting to climb and swim through glass, but this is normal behavior. It’s your responsibility as the owner to provide appropriate nesting zones.
Keep in mind that pregnant turtles will also try to escape to find a nesting spot elsewhere and will try to do everything to escape from the tank.
How to Help Your Turtle to Lay Eggs?
The essence of checking out if the turtle is pregnant is to help her lay the eggs. There are two ways to help your turtle in the egg-laying process, and both of them will depend on season and location. If you keep the turtle in a yard and the weather is warm outside, you can just make a suitable area out. When the weather’s cold and no yard is available, you need a suitable warm spot indoors. However, you should use these options if the pregnant turtle is looking to leave the tank for a suitable spot.
The Outdoor Method
This is by far the most convenient and most common method, but you need to make the yard secure enough so that the turtle doesn’t stray and dig its way out. If this is not possible, you can just secure a part of your yard and make proof it, so the turtle stays there throughout. Ensure the area has about 8 inches of slightly moist soil with some rocks and logs to help the turtle feel safe. It’s recommended that you keep the grounds wet for the turtle. However, ensure that the yard is clean without insecticides or pesticides that can terminate the pregnancy. Outdoor is preferred because it offers the turtle a wild-like experience, and you don’t need to clean up.
The Indoor Method
You can acquire a turtle nesting box or create one yourself. To build one yourself, you need to have three things:
- A broad and shallow plastic container about five times her length
- Organic soil
- Sand
Take equal parts of organic potting soil and sand and fill the mix to about two-thirds of the container. Make sure the box is big enough. Otherwise, the turtle might get stressed and postpone laying eggs. And once again, keep off soils that may contain fertilizers or pesticides since these are bad for turtles.
After putting the mixture in the container, be sure to spray some water over the soil it becomes most. Then, cover the container with a lid partially so that the turtle has the choice for both dim and lit space to lay the eggs. Before placing the turtle inside the container, make sure the container is not too cold or hot. Additionally, the spot you choose should be the least distracted to give the turtle easy to lay.
Once you put the turtle in the container, you need to patiently wait for several hours for the entire process to be over. Avoid peeking and interacting with the turtle at this point to avoid any delays in the laying process. The process should take approximately 2 – 3 hours, but some do it faster. Most turtles will prefer to lay in the morning while others do it in the nighttime.
You can check the soil for eggs which are usually buried. Carry her carefully into the nesting site whenever the turtle looks eager to lay.
If the turtle doesn’t lay the eggs after several tries, you may need to book an appointment with the herp vet to establish the cause. You can also facilitate the egg-laying process by raising the temperature to about 1000F for about half an hour before taking her to the nesting site. It’s essential to research your turtle nesting habits to try and facilitate the process as closely as can.
When Do Turtles Reach Their Sexual Maturity?
Male turtles achieve sexual maturity between 3 to 5 years while females can take up to 7 years to mature. However, this differs from species because some, like red-eared slider males, will take about 2-3 years while females will need two more.
How Does a Female Become Egg-Bound?
As said early, it happens that the turtle fails to lay the eggs it produces, a condition known as dystocia. There are many reasons for this happening, including a lack of a proper egg-laying site, stress, inadequate diet, and anatomical complications. Let’s review these reasons in detail.
Lack of a Proper Nesting Site
Turtles require a suitable spot where they can comfortably lay their eggs. This could be a place in the yard or a box filled with dampened soil or substrate such as coco coir, sphagnum moss, and organic soil. A lack of these conditions in the nesting site is why gravid turtles experience egg retention. Keep in mind that turtles can be pretty stubborn while choosing an egg-laying site and will postpone until they are satisfied with a particular spot.
Improper Diet
A gravid turtle loses a lot of nutrients to support eggs’ development, which can drastically weaken the immune system. A lack of important nutrients in their body is a reason enough to make her struggle to lay viable eggs and expose her to dystocia.
Stress
Stress is also one of the leading causes of dystocia in turtles because it causes the turtle to postpone expelling the eggs. There are several reasons why your turtle could be stressed by an overcrowded tank, incorrect lighting and heating, poor water parameter, and stress from mates. Even the presence of other pets like cats and dogs can trigger stress in turtles. In the wild, turtles delay laying eggs in fear of predators, which can be the same case in captivity.
Anatomical Complications
Additionally, anatomical complications in the internal and external reproductive organs can also explain why your turtle won’t lay the eggs. For this, you need to consult a vet immediately to provide a complete diagnosis. The first method they use is to palpate an egg in the cloaca area, but verification may be needed using radiographs.
Treatment of Dystocia in Turtles
The treatment of egg retention in turtles involves multiple methods. The vet may suggest increasing hydration as the first step, including administering fluids and soaking the turtle in fluids. The vet will also suggest you provide optimal temperature and perform a few tests to determine the level of vitamins and minerals. They may also provide certain medications to promote the birthing process.
If all these techniques fail, experienced vets may attempt to remove the egg manually if this is possible. Additionally, they may suggest ovariocentesis of the egg using shell removal. If these won’t work, surgical intervention may be the last resort. Egg retention should be solved if addressed in good time without causing any complications in future productions.
What to Do After Your Gravid Turtle Lays Eggs?
After your gravid pet turtle lays a clutch of eggs, you will have to decide what to do with them. You can either do away with the eggs if they are infertile or incubate them if they are fertile. It is tough to tell if turtle eggs are fertile because females can store sperm in their oviduct for up to three years, so even without recent interaction with male turtles, they can still lay fertile eggs.
A quick way to tell if the eggs are fertile is to check for the presence of an embryo using a flashlight to examine the egg in a dark room. This method isn’t completely foolproof as embryo development occurs differently depending on the turtle’s species, and you may not notice it for the first several weeks. Turtle eggs change color and texture as they incubate, so you can observe if there are any changes to indicate if the eggs are fertile or not. The shell will often turn from pink-white to a darker shade and ultimately lose the pink coloring as the embryo develops in the egg. The texture also changes to feel more rubbery to the touch.
What to Do With Unfertilized Eggs?
You can throw away any unfertilized turtle eggs that your pet lays. If you have a kitchen garden, you can also bury them in the soil, where they will eventually rot away and add nutrients to the soil. Unfertilized eggs can also be hard-boiled and fed to dogs, or you can experiment with some of the recipes online that use turtle eggs. Keep in mind that turtle eggs can still contain salmonella, and you should wash your hands carefully after handling them with soap. Also, ensure that the eggs are boiled for at least 20 minutes to eliminate any bacteria.
What to Do With Fertilized Eggs?
If you have fertilized turtle eggs, the best thing you can do is to either incubate them till they hatch or donate them to wildlife conservancy. You can call your vet and enquire about the best place to donate fertile turtle eggs. Local pet stores and reptile rescue centers can also advise you on how to go about the process.
If you decide to incubate the turtle eggs, you will need a custom egg incubator that meets the natural requirements. Keep in mind that turtle eggs incubate differently from bird eggs in the temperature ranges and humidity. The eggs should not be shaken, roasted, or turned during incubation. The temperature should be omaintene9nd around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity around 80% for the entire incubation period.
The eggs should also be placed on a suitable substitute, such as damp paper towels or sphagnum moss, to avoid damaging the shell as it gets rubbery. You can also influence the gender of the fertile turtle eggs by incubating them under a specific temperature range. Whereby eggs incubated below 81 degrees Fahrenheit will most likely be male, and those incubated above 87 degrees Fahrenheit will mostly contain female hatchlings.
Wrap up
Having read this guide, it should be easy to determine if your turtle is pregnant. There are two significant ways to know this, either through changes in the body or behavioral changes. A risky way to confirm this yourself is to touch the lower part of the carapace and feel the bumpy eggs. Do not put too much pressure as this may break the eggs. Thus you need to be very careful. Behavioral changes that could indicate pregnancy are aggression, fluctuation of appetite, digging the substrate, and trying to escape.
As the turtle owner, make sure you monitor the turtle and provide the right conditions for the egg-laying process. This includes providing the right temperature, enough space, and an egg-laying site that mimics the natural oviposition site. It’s important to ensure the turtle lays all eggs to avoid dystocia. If you think your turtle may be having an issue expelling the eggs, it’s important to consult the vet.
