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Need Desperate Help with Turtle Eggs ASAP

COerriccaRN

COerriccaRN

New member
I know this is a snake forum, but I am hoping someone here will know something about hatching turtles. I am really needing help and can't find anywhere on the internet that helps me.

We have five turtle eggs that are getting close to hatching. One started hatching already but he was to early, and I figure the others will follow shortly. Anyway, two of our eggs outer shells have begun to crack and the peices are falling off. The outer shells are just laying in chips and the soft outside of the egg is all thats left. One of the eggs has now started to form big dents in the soft layer of the egg. I have heard many times that "dents don't matter" but this isn't the hard outer shell. This is the soft inner layer caving in. The dents aren't deep, but just...dents. I can put my finger on the egg and feel the babies back but can't really detect any movement as far as I can tell. My boyfriend said he thought he saw movement, but can't be sure. Two out of the five eggs is doing this. The one with big dents has no shell, and the other still has shell but has large, open cracks in it. I'm not sure what this means? I know that everyone here are snake people, but I am hoping someone has expeirence with turtles or can help me. I'm really worried and am wondering if the turtle is having trouble hatching? Or should I open the rest of the egg and put the babie on wet paper towels(like I have heard some people do)?

Any help will be appreciated. I'm really nervous...
 
What kind of turtle/tortoise are they? I've hatched Box Turtle eggs many times. I don't help them because if they are meant to hatch and survive they will do so on the own. I don't get the whole outer shell inner shell thing. The turtle eggs I've hatched had shells just like snakes only a little less pliant and the hatchling would cut them open with egg teeth just like snakes. Denting in the egg shell is normal in soft shelled oviparous animals. The denting actually happens in bird eggs we just don't see it because of the ridged shell. Maybe what you are seeing is the inside membrane that lines the outer chalky shell. Pictures might be helpful.
Terri
 
There should be one soft, leathery layer on the outside and a transparent film like layer on the inside. When an egg begins to indent it usually just means they are soon to hatch. This is most common 2-4 days before actual hatching. The hatchlings will use an egg tooth to cut themselves out. The only time we 'cut' eggs is when one has taken longer than 24 hours to hatch from the first one that hatched. We NEVER remove hatchlings from an egg, we just ensure they have a safe exit from the egg when the hatching is ready. Hope this helps, just be sure to be patient with eggs and neonates, just give them time, they know what to do.
 
There are no Zoos really...we live in the sticks :(

And these are not leathery eggs. They are softshell turtle eggs. They had a "leathery" outside and then a white, thin layer on the inside. Its the thin layer I can see now. I saw the baby move today (I think?) so maybe it is okay.

Also, these two eggs have been cracked and the shells off for about four days. This is my first time hatching turtles, and I'm just confused.
 
Well you could find one in a phone book and call one whether it is near you or not? Just a thought, if you are really worried.
 
I tried that but they had to connect me with all this different people. Apparently there is not a turtle egg specialist on standby at any Zoos...so idk. I did call the Houston zoo but they said they couldn't get me any information.

Which I understand. People that work at zoos really don't have time to worry about other peoples problems with their animals.
 
Well that sucks... it was a thought....I figured maybe they would be able to help.
 
I tried one other Zoo, the one in San Antonio but they said they couldn't help without actually seeing the eggs and the conditions they where kept in...so idk. The egg has caved in even more today and I can sort of see the grey color of the baby inside...not sure if he is moving. I'm afraid to touch it.
 
Well how many days now has it been since they have started denting...Petpro said it usually takes up 4 days after denting to hatch, so if it has not been 4 days i would try to hang on at least until then. Not sure what else to tell you.
 
Okay I will wait...it has been five days and the dents are getting bigger. They are also turning kind of grey? But I am going to wait until at least day 7 or 8 before I cut the egg. Thanks for all your help Asbit, you had some really good ideas.
 
Well I don't know about that, just the only things I could think of and I felt bad that only one or two others seemed to respond...I hope it works out for your turtles. I just read your thread about hurricanes and wow I live in Saskatchewan Canada, right smack dab in the middle of the country so I have no idea of what it is like to deal with them but I feel like I have a better idea know after reading your thread. That is so intense, I can't even imagine wanting to stay in an environment like that...honestly I will take my kind of weather extremes....-40 to +40, snow banks as deep as 3-4 feet, rains that flood the streets and underpasses, dry spells that kill all the crops and cause plaques of grass hoppers and locusts, tornadoes, plow winds and all the nice weather in between.

Please keep me updated with the turtles... one thing to keep in mind is that if you end up cutting the eggs and the turtles are alive and seem to still have umbilical cords attached to yolks...what people on here do for snakes is they put them in a small plastic container with a lid and air holes and damp paper towel. This prevents the yolk from drying up and sticking to things while the snake finishes absorbing it, maybe it is something you might want to try with turtles??

Good luck and good thoughts coming your way Emily.
 
I tried that with the earlier turtle and it seemed to work, but the cord broke. But maybe it will work on more developed turtles.

The egg today has kind of shriveled up, like it is to dry, although I have kept it really damp.

I feel "movement" but can't tell if it is the baby or my fingers moving around air pockets. *sigh* this is stressful.
 
Ha we have drouts to...we are in the middle of one right now. I think San Antonio has only gotten .5 inches this month. Its really bad.

I have no clue what plow winds are...and have never seen a locust. I actually have never seen snow...I know sad
 
AHHH!! The badly dented egg hatched! And the baby is alive! I'm glad that she/he is okay but now there is something else that is really worrying me...the yolk is still attached the the baby, its pretty small but its still their. I'm worried about it. The last turtle that hatched early also had the big yolk, but it disconnected and he died. This yolk is much smaller, but I'm still really worried! If anyone knows anything about this let me know.

I read on the internet that you should put them on a wet rag and let the rest of the yolk absorb, so I did that but her shell is drying out. She/he is a softshell turtle and seems like she needs to be kept wet. There is NOTHING like this on google ect so IDK...Someone please help soon
 
Asbit, I also took your advice and put her in a damp place to let the yolk absorb. She seems to be doing okay now...but I'm just worried
 
Just leave them alone. They'll be fine. I've hatched Elegant Slider, Mississippi Mud, and Softshell.
And I was just a clumsy teenager. But I knew they didn't need my help.
Imagine, in the wild they are under packed earth and in the dark.
Patience is a very necessary virtue with herps.

NOTE : depending on the species, shells range from fixed and inflexible (like a bird's egg), to more leathery like a snake's.
 
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Thats true, but after the death of the other little turtle I was just worried. Right now the baby is on wet paper towels in my kitchen. Is that okay? Should I put her back in the sand? Or put the bowl she is in outside?

Also, this may be a stupid question, but what do baby turtles eat? After the yolk is disolved, what should I feed her/him?

I think I'm leaning toward a "her" :)
 
crackerhead said:
I don't help them because if they are meant to hatch and survive they will do so on the own.
Terri
Click to expand...
I'm with Terri on this philosophy. Keep them somewhere moist, preferably in the container you've had them in all along. And at a reasonable temperature, say, between 75F to 85F.
I'm sure you can google up some more precise instructions, species-specific even.
 
I looked for softshell turtle instructions...none that I could find. And the container the other eggs are in are outside and its HOT
 
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