Do Female Turtles Lay Eggs Without Mating? [YES!!!]

Do female turtles lay eggs without mating? This is among the common question asked by beginner turtle keepers. I know this because I was shocked the first time I saw eggs in my turtles’ aquarium. It was surprising and I was amazed. In addition, I always thought that the male was supposed to be there for the female to lay eggs. It seems I was wrong and I had to find out more about this ‘surprising’ fact.

I began my research and here is what I found out.

Do female turtles lay eggs without mating? Yes. The female turtles do not need the males for them to lay eggs. They will have the eggs inside them for the males to come and fertilize. If not, the eggs will be laid unfertilized. Since the eggs are infertile, they cannot hatch. The female turtles can start laying eggs from the age of 3. This will vary depending on the turtle species. 

Turtles havan exciting courtship ritual but since that is not what we are here for, I will leave that for some other day. In this post, you will learn how turtles lay eggs, how to know that she is preparing to lay eggs and pretty much everything you need to know about turtles laying eggs. Stay tuned.

My Turtle Laid Eggs Without A Mate

I was amazed to find out that female turtles do lay eggs without mating just like hens do. Well, it is true. From the research, I carried out, learned that when the turtle is about to lay the eggs, she will try to dig a hole to keep her eggs. For this reason, when you notice that she is about to lay eggs, you should place the turtle in a place where she will be able to dig. These places include a sandy area or wet soil. When the hole is ready, she will lay her eggs the, e, and her work will be done. You can take the eggs and store them for later. Would you like to know how you will know that she wants to lay eggs? Keep reading.

Do Female Turtles Lay Eggs Without Mating?

By now, I am sure that you understand that a female turtle can lay eggs without mating. The male turtles are only responsible for the continuity of the turtle species. What I mean is that their work is to fertilize the eggs so that the eggs can hatch and from there the baby turtles will come. As she is laying her eggs, she will need a place to store her eggs. She will, therefore, try to dig.

How do you know that she wants to lay eggs?

The first thing to do is to observe her behaviors. She will be restless looking everywhere as if searching for something, smelling the ground and even trying to climb the tank.

The next step is to check for some round lumps above their hind legs. This can be done by holding the turtle firmly and feel the lumps with your fingers. If they are there, find him the right spot to lay the eggs. Now we know how to check if she wants to lay eggs. How do they lay the eggs?

How Do Turtles Lay Eggs?

Without the male turtles to fertilize the eggs while in captivity, the eggs inside the turtle will be laid exposing the female turtle to danger. The danger can be caused by the fact that the eggs may rapture before they are laid and impacted eggs. This is a serious issue to the turtles’ health. The turtle will start to lose appetite, lose energy, and even have difficulties when swimming. For this reason, you should ensure that you check on her diet, ensure she gets enough sunlight for UVB light and mineral supplements. In the wild, the male and female will court and mate. That way the eggs are fertilized and it will take about 3 to 6 weeks to lay the eggs.

How Often Do Female Turtles Lay Eggs?

About how often the female turtles lay eggs will depend on a few factors such as the turtle species and the season. When it is too cold, the turtles will hold their eggs inside until the weather is favorable. Before the nesting season, the female turtle is courted by the male or males and mate afterwords. From there the female will lay fertilized eggs. The female turtle can lay from 1 to 9 clutches in a season. In total, some turtle species can lay a total of about 2,200 eggs in a lifetime. Nesting can be done for about 2 to 3 years.

Do All Females Red Eared Sliders Lay Eggs?

From what I have learned so far, and also have a red-eared slider for a pet, I think that one red-eared slider is enough to conclude that they all lay eggs. After mating, the red-eared slider is responsible enough to bask for longer hours to keep her eggs warm. She will do most of the things that favor the well-being of her eggs such as avoiding some foods and eat some foods more. That is just their nature which is quite impressive. Female red-eared sliders can lay eggs from two to thirty eggs. This may vary depending on their size and some other factors.

Can Turtles Lay Eggs In Water?

It does happen sometimes. It is possible to find turtles eggs in water. Most of the times, the turtle will spend most of the time in the water but when it is about time to lay eggs, the habitat will change and the turtle will spend most of the time on land searching for a suitable place to dig the nest. The turtle will try as much as possible to avoid laying the eggs in water. She will even try to hold the eggs longer which can be fatal. The more the eggs are held inside, they become weak and may break in the process. The York if not treated might even kill the turtle. The eggs that are laid in water will never hatch. I would encourage finding your turtle a good spot to lay her eggs to avoid some inconveniences.

At What Age Do Turtles Lay Eggs?

By the time a turtle is 5 years, she is mature enough to lay eggs. Turtles mature very quickly but it depends on the turtle species. Moreover, some turtle species may even take more than 20 years before they can lay eggs. Some take from seven to ten years while others from ten to fifteen years. The time varies from species to species. After mating, the laying of eggs may come after two to three weeks. The incubation period can be from 45 to 70 days.

Well there you have it, by now you have learned some of the cool facts about turtles. They can lay eggs without the help of a male turtle. You know that the turtles spend time finding a safe spot to nest the eggs they lay. Do not be amazed the next time you see your pet turtle laying eggs with no male turtle present. You should also remember to place your turtle where she can dig for her eggs.