Her name is Ivy, she is a red-eared slider turtle that was given to the nursery from a .Donna who tends to the water plants near the pond noticed that Ivy's abdomen was swollen last week. After some research by both Donna and Gerry from Greengoods they realized that Ivy was carrying eggs! The nursery also has two male red-eared sliders who are much younger and have finally come of age to aid Ivy in becoming a mother. It was Donna and Arturo who discovered these two younglings and they are aptly named: Donnatela and Arturtle.
Donna prepared a sandy place where Ivy would feel inclined to lay her eggs. Cyndee found Ivy today laying her eggs on the opposite side of the pond in a nice patch of sun. Cyndee, Greg and I watched Ivy meticulously dig a shallow hole today and though we did not see her lay any eggs we are excited about the possiblity. Ivy used her back legs like hands, shoveling out moist dirt and then basking in the afternoon sun. After some minutes she began to expertley cover the hole using tapping motions to pack the soil. We all found it fitting that she would laying eggs right around Mother's Day and were in awe that she was doing this all by instinct.
Red-eared sliders can lay 20-30 eggs May through July, so I will keep you all updated if we see any fledgling turtles being born.
