4123. A red-eared slider lays eggs around once a month.

2 May 20. After oxytocin injection at Toa Payoh Vets. Laid 9 eggs inside the car

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UPDATE ON MAY 10, 2020

Thanks for your 2 emails ref egg laying. It seems that Kame lays eggs around 2 weekly, based on the last 2 events in your email. Pl keep a diary of the dates.

You spoke yesterday, May 10, that Kame was restless and that there may be some eggs left over, although 9 were laid. Has she laid the eggs naturally?

According to the owner, the slider went to the garden in the evening. She searched for a good spot, dug a hole and sat there for around 20 minutes. The owner wanted to bring her home. On arrival, the slider was  ravenous. She fed him some 40 shrimps and proceeded to boil the big grey prawns (not the Tiger prawns which the slider dislikes). The slider ate 2 prawns and wanted more.

"She must have expelled all the tissues inside her uterus," I said. "Like ruptured eggs and malformed soft-shelled eggs not seen in the X-ray. Those tissues could have been infected and hence she did not have good appetite for one week after the oxytocin injection!"

"Normally she would eat around 3 days after the injection," the owner had experience of two oxytocin injections for her slider earlier. "But this time, it took more than 7 days and she had signs of wanting to lay eggs!". This could be stressful for the owner as the slider kept wanting to go out.

"Why not put a sand box inside your apartment?" I asked.
"We tried," the owner said. "Kame just hopped out of the box!". This showed that the slider preferred to lay eggs in the sandy soil of the garden.

"The condo management does not prohibit you from doing it?"
"No, but I chose an area near the pandan leaves. That area has few flowers."
"How did the residents feel about this slider digging holes in the garden?" I asked.
"No problem. Kame covers up the hole when she had laid the eggs," the owner elaborated. "Besides, the residents loved seeing her. Some dogs would sniff at her!"
"Be careful," I said. "The dog may bite her head off".
"I will not permit any dog to go near her."


Now that Kame had her appetite, it was calm at the condo. She would be watching TV with the couple as Covid-19 circuit breaker demands that all residents in Singapore stay at home if they do not need to go buy grocieries.



 






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APRIL 13, 2020. EGG LAYING NATURALLY

13 Apr 20. Laid 7 - 8 eggs naturally via digging the sand and soil.  The slider would be restless, lose appetite, wanting to go out to the garden by pushing at the front door of the apartment.