pregnant turtle

Question
my turtle hasn't been eating. i give her food every 2 or 3 days and she never eats it. her shell top has been fading. i think its possible that she may be pregnant because she has two egg shapes about 1.5 inches long. she has also been sticking her butt in her water bowl. oh by the way she is a box turtle. I've lifted up her tail and... i saw the white of an egg shell.

Answer
Hi Jacob,

It's possible your turtle may be gravid, but that white you see may also be a bladder stone that she's trying to pass.  Box turtles need a moist environment with plenty of access to water, or they can develop bladder stones (calcifications) that can become quite large.  In any case, something is wrong.  It's not normal for an egg to sit in the cloaca like that--when a female lays, the egg passes down the oviduct (egg tube, basically) into the nest; you wouldn't be able to see it the way you're describing.  If it's a bladder stone, she's going to need vet help to pass it.  Please take her to a good herp vet ASAP, and let me know what happens.