Can infertile tortoises lay eggs?

by Ryan
(England)

Just now I was walking along, and crack. I step in something. I look down and theres a small white (smashed) egg in the middle of the floor. The yolk, the normal yellow, and there appears to be nothing else in the egg.

There are two possibilities that i can think of: Either my cat brought it in, or my Hermann's tortoise laid it.
My tortoise is currently five years old and female, and has never been introduced to a male as far I know. Looking at her bum, and i can see that its looks slightly slimy, like she has just done a very clean poo.
Do tortoises sometimes lay infertile eggs? Or has my cat just brought it in, and im being paranoid?

Comments for Can infertile tortoises lay eggs?

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Jun 17, 2022
 Tortoise eggs
by: CassieAnonymous

This is the second year she has clutched eggs. I was concerned the first time assuming she was male.I did remove them as They were in my greenhouse., as I feared the fox might make a mess there. There is a lot of work to prepare the hole and then fill them in and in some ways it’s sad really after all that hard work, but then they do just walk away as much as to say your on your own now!
Jul 16, 2019
 Egg laying
by: Annette Toms

My two tortoises have been laying eggs all this summer I have had both for about 60 years and no male. He died three years ago.
Jul 02, 2019
 Tortoise
by: Anonymous

I have two tortoises and one is laying eggs.They are about 26 years of age. I was told that they were both males? They only have been with each other?? They wrestle a lot together! That's what I call it by small children!! LOL
Jun 29, 2019
 tortoise laying eggs
by: Sue BucklingAnonymous

My female tortoise has just laid seven eggs in a small hole that she dug herself.She is thirty years old and has been doing this for seven years and has had no contact with a male tortoise so I know they are not fertile
May 08, 2018
 No male needed!
by: Renard

This needs to be put to rest!
Emphatically, tortoises can produce eggs without any contribution from a male - as will the female of most animals, including us!
A common example is the domestic hen, which produces abundant eggs without needing a cockerel. Birds and reptiles (including tortoises) are very distantly related.
However, without fertilisation by a male, eggs will not be fertile, which means a baby will not be made. Same as we humans!
Some tortoises lay (infertile) eggs regularly, others not at all.
Jul 25, 2017
 Egg laying
by: Anonymous

My tortoise is alone and has laid an egg today as she did last year
Jun 04, 2016
 Madhoora is wrong.
by: Renard

Madhoora is wrong! There is ample evidence that tortoises do lay eggs without ever being with a male. My own female Hermanns lays about six eggs each year, despite having no contact with a male.
Apr 30, 2015
 Infertile tortoises DO lay eggs
by: Anonymous

Our "hercules", Desert tortoise, just laid a few eggs. Never has "she" been around a male. She didn't dig a nest, just plopped them out on the lawn. most broke apart..
Jan 06, 2011
 Tortoises Eggs
by: Shelly

A female tortoise can, indeed, lay eggs without ever being introduced to a male. In that case, the eggs are infertile.

An infertile tortoise, would be one that could not produce living offspring even if a male tortoise mated with it.

I'm so sorry that you stepped on that egg. That must have been an odd sensation.

When you have female tortoise, it's a good idea to have a place she can dig to lay her eggs. Even if they never hatch, she will be happier.

Keep it slow and steady.
Jan 06, 2011
 Reply
by: Anonymous

madhoora: The egg was infertile, and I am now certain that my tortoise did indeed lay it. What I was really asking, is whether this was a normal behaivior, which i now understand is a yes.
Jan 05, 2011
 infertile tortoises dont lay eggs
by: madhoora

hello friend
you are just being too worried.
firstly you say that your tortoise is infertile and secondly it has never been introduced to a male, then just tell me dear how will it lay eggs?
its just immpossible for your tortoise to lay eggs under the above two mentioned conditions. so just dont worry.

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