If you have a female turtle as a pet, you already know that if the right conditions are met she can become pregnant and it is of great importance that you detect this situation as soon as possible so that adapt your pet's environment to its specific needs and be able to go to the vet at any sign that indicates problems during this stage.
At first it may seem that being a turtle makes it more difficult to perceive certain special situations, such as a pregnancy, but with the right knowledge and enough patience we can know exactly what is happening to our pet.
In this article we clarify some aspects of turtle reproduction and show you how to tell if a tortoise is pregnant.
The reproduction of the turtle
The tortoise is a vertebrate reptile that is oviparous in nature, that is, it reproduces by laying eggs.
There is a great diversity of different breeds and even some species live protected as they are in danger of extinction, to prevent our turtle from suffering any damage we must always be careful with the other pets we have in the home.
To know more about reproduction and pregnancy of the turtle, we must know that in he althy conditions, it will reach sexual maturity approximately at 7-10 years of age, and from this moment on, if it copulates with a male tortoise, the tortoise's reproduction process begins, which we can summarize schematically:
- Copulations occur between the months of April and June
- The female turtle has the ability to store sperm inside her to fertilize the eggs that she lays, this sperm can be preserved and functional for 3 years
- Layings oscillate between 2 and 12 eggs, although they vary depending on the specific species
- The eggs hatch between August and October
We must also take into account that incubation is shorter at higher temperatures, which can influence the time of hatching.
As we mentioned earlier, there are many types of tortoise and this reproductive cycle refers specifically to the land tortoise.
How do I know if my turtle is pregnant?
To know if your turtle is pregnant you need to use a palpation technique to check if there are any eggs inside.
To do this we will need to palpate the abdomen, we recommend that you follow these steps:
- It is normal for the turtle to struggle and kick
- We must take advantage of its movement to block one of its hind legs, we will achieve this simply by placing one of our fingers inside the leg and preventing its movement
- Blocking one of its legs will give us access to the side of its abdomen, an area to which we must pay special attention
- We will gently sink one or two of our fingers into the side of the abdomen to proceed with palpation, if the area is soft we are palpating viscera, but if instead we notice a spherical and hard shape, our turtle is pregnant
Although abdominal palpation is the most reliable method to verify a turtle's pregnancy, we can also observe signs of pregnancy in its behavior, since when a turtle lays eggs it begins to dig various holes in the ground and at this time it is very important that it has soft soil to do so, since otherwise it can retain the eggs, which poses a serious risk to our pet.
Warning Signs
During the turtle's pregnancy we must pay special attention to certain signs that, although they do not have to indicate a problem during the breeding period, they can indicate a disease:
- Red and puffy eyes
- Runny nose
- Lack of appetite
- Problems in the shell
- Spots on the skin
- Bulge on head
- Weightloss
- Edemas
- Respiratory distress
If we notice any of these signs, it is important to go to the vet as soon as possible, since, as we have mentioned, they may indicate some disease, which will take on even greater relevance if our turtle is in a state of pregnancy.
