Tog had a long labour

Yesterday when I returned from grocery shopping Tog was busy digging a hole so I knew she wanted to lay eggs. Over the past week or so, she had tried several places around the lawn but then given up, mainly because the ground was so hard. The rain of the last couple of days had softened the soil enough for her to dig a fairly deep hole.

I kept running in and out to see how she was doing and then a friend called in for a cup of tea. After my friend left I went back out to the garden to see the tail end of the egg laying so I only got a few seconds of video and it's nothing like as clear as the video I took a couple of years back.


Unfortunately it was a very cold, windy afternoon so the eggs were cooling as soon as they were laid. Tog took several hours to pack them into the ground and then cover them, so no chance of them surviving. What was Tom (father of the eggs) doing while poor Tog was labouring away. He was tucked in a corner paying no attention to the proceedings, as you will see from the picture below.

Archives:
2008: Fun Monday-70 Childhood Memories
2007: Who's your inner European and others for fun

The 'yolk's on me'

When I bought these eggs I was told that everyone would be a double 'yolk'. Oh yes I thought.. but the guy was true to his word. They are from local free range hens and taste delicious.

Archives:
October 12th 2006: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Tortoise update

On Tuesday just after I got back from the airport run I went down the garden to feed the tortoises and lo and behold Tog was again in the process of laying another batch of eggs. This photo I took looks pretty much the same as the previous one but as far as I could see there were only about 4 or 5 eggs this time around. Clearly randy old Tom has been a very busy boy!!

A Tortoise Tale!

For those of you who read my bog regularly you will recall I have written about my tortoises very regularly. I have also told you what a 'casanova' Tom is and how is aim in life is to have his wicked way with the two females. His preference recently has been the youngest 'Tog' and she is sometimes receptive to his advances but more often than not she spends her time running away from him, hiding under the ramp to their house. I have returned home a couple of times recently to find Tom on his back waving his legs in the air unable to turn himself over. Knowing it was his own fault for being a bit amourous and eager (well a girl likes to be wooed) I was tempted to leave him- no I wouldn't be that cruel- would I!!
I guessed that Tog was carrying eggs as for the last week she has been trying to dig holes all around the lawn to find a suitable spot to deposit them. I arrived home this morning to see she had found the ideal spot and was actually in the process of laying her eggs. I rushed in the house to grab my camera, which has a movie facility and took this little bit of film. It's not terribly good (I use it so rarely that I forgot to give a commentary and no chance of a re-run!!) but for those who have little knowledge of tortoises you might be interested and it's a good nature lesson for children. The eggs will not hatch because the conditions in this country are not right. I have in the past tried to incubate without success as I do not have the right equipment which is quite expensive to buy. You will probably recall how much the vet bill cost for Topsy earlier this year. Of course if I could have hatched them, the sale would more than cover the vet bill!! In case you are wondering I think there were 7 eggs.

Just in case anyone is remotely interested in past post that include the tortoises:
weigh in
visit to the country
on a clear day