zookeeperfrank
New member
Hi All,
In the course of my work, I am often contacted by turtle owners whose pets cease feeding and become unusually restless. The behavior appears suddenly, sometimes after many uneventful years – a Common Musk Turtle did so after 22 years in my collection – and seems to have no external cause. A normally placid turtle may begin frantically paddling or wandering about, trying to climb the sides of the terrarium and escape. Food, once the focus of the creature’s existence, is ignored.
Some are surprised to learn that turtle and tortoise eggs may develop even if the female has never mated, and that mated animals may retain sperm and produce fertile eggs years later. Unfortunately, gravid (egg-bearing) turtles can be very choosy when it comes to nesting sites…a ½ acre exhibit failed to satisfy some I’ve cared for at the Bronx Zoo! If the eggs are not deposited, blockages due to over-calcification and life-threatening infections invariably result. Fortunately, there are ways to “convince” your pet to lay her eggs; failing this, several effective veterinary options are available. Read the rest of this article here http://bit.ly/1gjeNAs
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj and Facebook http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Best Regards, Frank Indiviglio
In the course of my work, I am often contacted by turtle owners whose pets cease feeding and become unusually restless. The behavior appears suddenly, sometimes after many uneventful years – a Common Musk Turtle did so after 22 years in my collection – and seems to have no external cause. A normally placid turtle may begin frantically paddling or wandering about, trying to climb the sides of the terrarium and escape. Food, once the focus of the creature’s existence, is ignored.
Some are surprised to learn that turtle and tortoise eggs may develop even if the female has never mated, and that mated animals may retain sperm and produce fertile eggs years later. Unfortunately, gravid (egg-bearing) turtles can be very choosy when it comes to nesting sites…a ½ acre exhibit failed to satisfy some I’ve cared for at the Bronx Zoo! If the eggs are not deposited, blockages due to over-calcification and life-threatening infections invariably result. Fortunately, there are ways to “convince” your pet to lay her eggs; failing this, several effective veterinary options are available. Read the rest of this article here http://bit.ly/1gjeNAs
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj and Facebook http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Best Regards, Frank Indiviglio