Instructions
Watch for eggs six to eight weeks after nesting. The first indications that a female is about to lay eggs are typically subtle, so it's helpful to know your tortoise's normal behavior and routines. She may eat less than normal, avoid other tortoises or become restless. Just before laying her eggs, your tortoise will begin to pace her enclosure, looking for a nesting site.
Look for signs of nesting. Female sulcatas dig large pits in which to lay their eggs. These nests are frequently against a barrier. After the tortoise has dug the pit, she will enter the pit to lay eggs.
Monitor the tortoise for signs of egg-laying. After entering the pit, females create more space in the pit by using their front legs to dig. This may take several hours. After the female has dug the pit to the appropriate size, she will lay eggs. When she is finished, she will completely cover the nest with debris.
Look for nest-guarding behavior if you think your female may have already laid eggs. Though tortoises do not provide care for hatchlings and do not return to check on the eggs, they will guard their nests vigilantly in the hours after egg-laying. Some females may even sit on their nests.
How to Tell When Sulcata Tortoises Lay Their Eggs
Sulcata tortoises, also known as African spurred tortoises, exhibit complex and dramatic breeding behaviors. Male tortoises repeatedly ram females and may fight with and injure other males. It's hard to miss sulcata mating patterns, but egg-laying is much less dramatic. With careful observation, though, it's easy to spot a female laying and protecting her eggs.