Sunny please read.

[lillylizard]

i wouldn't try to feed her. if she is gravid she may not be able to pass it. it may just stress her out. i am worried if she has been ike this for a few weeks now she may egg bind. and that can be scary.

 

[bunnyrut]

if she is going to lay eggs you can't force feed her. but you will need liquid calcium to give her after she lays.

i use this http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752603&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No mixed with sand. not too much sand, just enough to make it easier to form tunnels. you can also throw some moss in there to help keep the dirt moist.

you can pick up play sand from toys r us too, since it is cheaper.

one of the big plastic bins should be deep enough. i thing they are 13 gallons? i personally have a 38 gallon one.

i set up a basking light over the bin since she will get cold.

if you put her in the bin and she starts to dig right away just leave her alone. once she starts laying eggs it could be a few hours before she is done.
and you will know she is done when she comes out of the hole and starts packing the dirt down - with her face.

once she is done she will need a bath to get rehydrated.

 

[kcarello]

There may be some more information in here that will help you..
http://www.everythingreptile.org/making-a-lay-box.html
Good luck

 

[SunnysHumanSlave]

I think I got the sand to wet. One half was still mostly dry so I put in some more on the dry side and it didn't suck it up so I think the water pooled at the bottom and now I can't put her in it. I have her basking bulb over it so it might dry by morning a little just enough to help with the extra water I sponged a bunch out so I'm hoping there will be an inch or so of dry top sand I can mix I. Enough to even it out right now her lights would be out so I have her basking light on over the sand.

 

[lillylizard]

Cool! Keep us up dated as things go along!

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....it does sound like she's gravid. And yes, you can feed her if she wants to eat, but she probably won't [ as you mentioned ] because all their energy is focused on finding a lay spot. When you say that the water pooled in the lay box, did you mix it up using your hand ? Then pack more of it on one side so it creates a small hill, about 10 inches high, then use your hand to start a little tunnel for her, about 5 - 6 inches into the side of the " hill ". Many times my girls will just continue the tunnel that I start for them. Sometimes they'll dig for a while, then back out of the hole + look around, if she hasn't had a drink in a while she may be thirsty you can offer water with an eyedropper or syringe so she can have a drink wthout interrupting the laying process.

 

[bunnyrut]

Is it only sand? It should be mixed with dirt because sand is heavy.
The dirt will soak up the moisture. Try making a deep tunnel to see if it stays.
You don't want it to collapse on her while she is digging.

 

[kcarello]

Using sand alone is perfectly fine...it is what is recommended on this site as well as the other link's lay box tutorial. It has to be wet enough to hold its shape.

 

[SunnysHumanSlave]

The sand dried out enough that it is holding shape should I leave her in it all day and all night?

 

[kcarello]

Did you pile it up higher on one end and then start a tunnel for her???? With mine,,,if she was ready to lay she would start digging in the tunnel I had started pretty much right away,,,if she wasn't ready,,,she would start trying to get out....but that's my girl....have you put her in it yet?? What did she do??

 

[SunnysHumanSlave]

I did pile it on one end an did start a tunnel. I just put her in and she stuck her nose in the sand before she just sat she was pretty mad at me for pickin her up. Right now she is just sitting.

 

[kcarello]

Then I would leave her in there for a bit....see if she will start digging. You can put a light on her for heat...if you looked at the other link on making a lay box, you can see how you can cut a hole in the top and tape screen over the hole, then you can set a fixture on top of it. If not, then you could place the lay bin somewhere where you could use the clamp to position it over her.

 

[SunnysHumanSlave]

I just emptied out her cage and put the bin in there. When I had her sexed our friend said female the store I got her from thought male but I haven't really seen the to bumps on either side. I read though it can be hard to determine sex if this is so and she is a male which I don't think she is. Will her being in the sand be bad for her.

 

[SunnysHumanSlave]

I went in to check on her and she has a pile of sand in the tip of her nose. Where I started the whole there were scratch marks and loose sand. As soon as I came in she stopped ad went away from her hole. I put a sign on my door saying not to enter. So she will have very few disterbances.

 

[AHBD]

That's good, sounds like she's digging. And the sand or other digging material is a must for her nest box, so no, it's not bad to have her in sand.