Egg Laying Process

joeandsoph

Established Member
How long should the egg laying process last, from when her colours change or she stops eating to when she actually lays eggs.

Tilly is definately ready this time round, she's been like this for a few days. She's pacing around all day, she's got very orange stripes and vivid blue spots. She seems quite happy and normal, she's still eating.

The laying bucket is in there and she has gone to it but not tried digging yet.
 
If she hasn't been mated its hard to figure out when the first clutch will be laid for sure. It isn't always certain when she will lay them even if she has been mated because it depends to some extent on when the mating occurs within the female's cycle...and to some extent on husbandry.

Once the female lays the first clutch, subsequent (infertile) clutches can be laid every 4 months...but there are things that can affect/prevent that. They may lay no eggs if the diet and other husbandry things are right for that.

Having a suitable place for a female to lay eggs should decrease the possibility that there will be problems though....along with good husbandry.
 
I'mrelly sure she's got eggs in her, she has these bulges above her legs and she looks fat. She has a bucket but it's been a while and nothing...
 
Does she have plenty of privacy? If she sees you watching she wont do it which would present a bigger problem. If i were you i would cover her enclosure with something, towels, sheets, whatever you have. I usually arrange it so there is only 1 open spot for me to peek in through. But don't peek often cause if she sees you she might stop what she is doing. In the wild if anything sees where her eggs are there is a good chance they will dig them up and eat them so she knows instincetively she needs to be secretive. And it can take quite a while, sometime even days. But if she does have eggs, when she thinks it is safe, she'll lay them. If she goes into the night i usually leave the lights on until she is completely done. Good luck. I have had 2 females i was convinced had eggs until i manipulated their bellies and couldn't feel any.
 
Its hard to know when the first clutch should be laid. If she has a place to dig and doesn't and sits low in the cage, sleeps during the day, is lethargic, etc. then its time for a visit to the vets. (One "sign" that they are getting close to laying is an increase in thirst....but it can indicate other things too.)

Its important that she doesn't see you when she is digging. Generally if they are up in the branches, it won't matter and you can feed them and water them then...but make sure you don't leave any uneated insects in the cage once she starts to dig.
 
Thanks for the replies. She is still exactly the same. I haven't noticed any increased thirst as she is a very private drinker. We mist but never see her drinking (but her urates are very white). She's still eating loads as normal, in fact her appetite is huge. She goes on the bottom of her tank only very rarely, she hasn't even started digging. It's just frustrating as she has very orange stripes and very blue dots and she just looks fat to me. Her belly is bigger than normal and sometimes I see bumps when she moves about. Thing is she's been like this for a while and isn't showing any other signs. The bucket is there and she knows it's there as she's walked over it a few times but she's not doing anything. I'm just hoping when it's time...she will know herself. We even tried putting her in the bucket and still nothing.

I wish she could talk to me :-(
 
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