Identifying a Pregnant Turtle
Written by Turtle Pet Hobbyist on October 2nd, 2008Identifying a pregnant turtle: A how-to guide
Need help in identifying a pregnant turtle? It may be harder than it sounds. While there are clues and methods to check if a turtle is pregnant, they are usually not 100% accurate.
Several behavioural changes can prompt speculation that a turtle may be gravid. The most common action that indicates a turtle may be pregnant is when it makes digging motions using its hind limbs. Sometimes, they actually go so far as to dig holes and then cover them back up. This is possibly in preparation for nesting.
Identifying a Pregnant Turtle
Another behaviour change that may occur in a gravid turtle is a decrease in a previously healthy appetite, due to the eggs occupying and pressing on her abdominal area. On occasion, a pregnant turtle can also exhibit shyness. Gravid turtles can also tend to show restlessness, and aggressiveness or irritability towards the owner or another turtle. Some of these turtles even claw frantically at the walls of their tank, in what may seem like an attempt to escape their enclosure. Not all turtles exhibit these signs while they are gravid, however so they might not be very helpful when identifying a pregnant turtle.
Identifying a pregnant turtle can also be done through palpation. This can be done by inserting a finger inside the turtle’s shell, in the area in front of her hind limbs. Make sure to feel both sides. You can also try feeling both sides simultaneously by inserting one finger in each opening. If the turtle is pregnant, you should be able to feel round, hard lumps there. These lumps are the turtle’s eggs. This method shouldn’t be dangerous to the turtle or its eggs if the palpation is done delicately. Be careful when using this technique, however, since there is a possibility that the turtle’s claws can harm you. In some cases, the turtle will keep their hind legs tucked in which makes it harder to palpate for the eggs. If this happens, you can opt to wait until the turtle pulls its legs back out before sliding a finger in and feeling the space.
Identifying a Pregnant Turtle
On occasion, though, you may not be able to feel any eggs even if the turtle is gravid. The most accurate method in identifying a pregnant turtle is to get an x-ray of your turtle. A veterinarian will then be able to confirm the status of the turtle through the x-ray results which can show just how many eggs, if any, there are, as well as the condition of the eggs themselves.
Barring an x-ray and a visit to a veterinarian, there is no foolproof method in identifying a pregnant turtle. If you suspect that your pet may be gravid, the best thing you can do is to provide a nesting box for the turtle. The box usually contains warm dirt where the turtle can lay its eggs. There are some turtles, however, which reject the use of nesting boxes and are very particular about which spot they choose as a nesting site, so it may be helpful to research the natural nesting conditions of your turtle’s particular species.