| Kurumi had lost her appetite and had begun to riot in the container from early
in the morning. for some time. And she had been interested in Japanese room and had come into there as well. On this day, she began to scratch a Japanese straw mat "tatami" by her back legs at last. It's It is the completely same behavior as the the late Kamemi was doing before. It brings back good memories of Kamemi. But Kurumi which was born in June, 2010 is still just 3 years old, and her is still 18 cm in the length, a little less than 1,100 g in the weight. Her weight is still about half of Kamemi's one. Even Kamemi whose growing speed was fast laid eggs for the first time at the age of four or five. So I thought that it wasn't still time to lay eggs because it was too early for her. They says that female turtles may often carry out the same action as the time of laying eggs by the influence of hormone in the growth process. So I thought that her action was also surely such a thing. For the time being I covered with the newspaper on the tatami as I try for Kamemi before to avoid having the tatami destroyed by Kurumi. The first experience is very important because it may become her custom later.
Each turtle lay eggs in each way. So it may be her special way. Kurumi was not interested in outdoor space unlike Kamemi which liked to go out and tried to dig soil there when laying time was coming. All of my experience through her for years wasn't necessarily helpful. So I felt puzzlement. She tried to hide under something to scratch there strangely enough. Was it because she was coward, or because of a little cool climate in those days? Now I come to think of it, turtles often want to hide under something when When temperature begins to fall at the beginning of autumn. It's usual that temperature is too cold for turtles even if it's comfortable for us. Warmth is more important than we consider for turtles in their laying time. Her activity did not have the sign of settling down even if several days had passed after she began to scratch tatami. I came to be anxious that low temperature caused eggs jam to her. I tried to use heater in the container that she spent during night only until her activity settles down just to make sure. I set its thermostats to higher than 30 degrees Celsius. Kurumi looked to feel more relaxed than usual. On the next day which began to use a heater, I found that she kept still behind something. She didn't seem to scratch floor. I felt that she might be trying to lay eggs. And I tried to return her to the container after putting hot water of about 40 degrees water Celsius. Then she began to move her hide legs in water like digging a hole, and ｔhe root of her tail began to swell. I could see a egg in her cloaca. After then she laid 2 eggs in a row soon. |
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After then she came to settle down and eat much again, It looks that she still wants to use more energy for growing than laying eggs because she is still 3 years old in a period of growth. She began to eat much to grow more after then without laying more eggs. 3 years had passed since Kamemi had gotten to heaven . I thought that I didn't experience laying eggs of our turtles for a while. But I did it again so early. Kurumi is likely to lay eggs in earnest next summer. |
