Red Foot Eggs... HELP???

[WHS]

Alright, this is getting weird.

I have had 2 red footed tortoises (along with a multitude of other herps) for 12 years now. I bought them as hatchlings. I have recently been told by many knowledgable people that they both appear to be female. The smaller one often mounts the larger one and makes clucking noises, which I realise is mathing behaviour, but I was told that this is also done as a symbol of dominance. So I thought nothing of it since the two have been behaving like this for years. Well... about 4 weeks ago I found an egg in the enclosure. I put it in the incubator, unsure as to whether or not female red foots can lay infertile eggs like some other herps. Two weeks later, another egg... tonight (a week later) another egg... this time I caught them trying to eat it!

Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on aside from the fact that they are obviously laying eggs. Is it possible that these are infertile? Is it normal for weeks to pass between egg laying? I'm attaching a pic of one of the eggs for the heck of it. It's dark because I have to use my webcam. The eggs seem to be healthy looking with a pinkish colour seen through the hard white shell.

Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks.

[snakers55]

You have a male and a female, turtles and tortoises don't establish dominance that way..

[WHS]

Really? Well, don't I look stupid! They look identical underneath, tail shape and all, but I guess it's difficult to tell sometimes. I've had people that are very experienced with tortioses look at them both. So do you know anything about eggs? Is it normal for them to be layed up to 2 weeks apart? I've read everything I can, but nothing mentions this.

Thanks for your help.

[johnnym1972]

Hello there, the only reliable way to tell if they are male and female is by looking at the plastron(bottom shell), upside down, in profile. You can do this by putting each Tortoise on its' back and looking at the plastron from the side. If the plastron looks sunken in, then it's a male. If it looks straight and even, it's a female. By the way, if you want to sell them, please let me know.
Good luck and take care, Johnny.