Do All Turtles Lay Eggs?
fact checked & review by
Dr. Partho Kumar Shaha
Veterinarian (DVM)
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One reputed blog has written that softshell turtles and leatherback sea turtles do not lay eggs. Instead, they give birth to young. Come on! How is it even possible? Don’t all the turtles lay eggs?
Only adult female turtles can lay eggs. Male turtles do not have ovaries and cannot fertilize eggs. Female turtles can deposit eggs even without mating. However, eggs laid without mating are infertile. Female turtles can also lay eggs 3 to 4 years after mating.
Can turtles deliver babies? Read the article for an answer.
Key Takeaways
- Male turtles can not lay eggs.
- Female turtles have ovaries to accommodate and fertilize eggs.
- A female turtle can lay eggs without mating.
Not All Turtles Lay Eggs
It is true that not all turtles lay eggs.
Only adult and sexually active females can carry eggs. The males and the young turtles cannot deposit eggs.
Apparently, female turtles have a biological system slightly different from the males. The females own ovaries where the fertilized eggs halt and grow over the weeks.
Yes, the baby female turtles also have ovaries. But these organs are not mature until the reptiles become sexually active.
The female abdomens are also flexible. As the eggs grow bigger, they occupy more space inside the belly. Female abdomens are naturally engineered to squeeze out room for these eggs.
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Turtles Lay Eggs Without Mating!
Do not be surprised if your turtle suddenly lays eggs without even mating that season. It is normal in the turtle realm.
According to experts, a sexually mature female turtle will wait for her mate. If she does not get involved in coitus, there is a chance that the turtle will lay infertile eggs. No babies will come from these eggs, and you can simply throw them out.
Again, female turtles have a magical ability to store sperm. A report says that these reptiles can keep the sperm from previous mating intact for up to 4 years. In this timeframe, they can use the sperm to fertilize their eggs.
Before You Go
Do you know some people believe that male turtles can lay eggs? Is the claim valid? I have talked about this topic in the attached article below.
About Author
Muntaseer Rahman started keeping pet turtles back in 2013. He also owns the largest Turtle & Tortoise Facebook community in Bangladesh. These days he is mostly active on Facebook.
