Hi folks can anyone please give us some advice on when to start breeding our torts ? They have been out of hibernation for a month now and both are eating well and looking healthy also how often and how long would you let the male and female stay in the same enclosure. They are both 9 years of age and she as laid eggs in the past but not with the male we have.

many thanks

Donna & Paul

Hi Donna & Paul,

It's really a case of keeping an eye on the female to ensure she doesn't become too stressed by the male's attentions. Our group here has 5 females to one male.....unfortunately male tortoises are not the most charming of animals:-). Certainly this time of year they are in full mating mode, so separating them to avoid your female becoming stressed may well be on-going.

HTH
Darren

Thanks for the quick reply darren. We let our male herman have his wicked way with our female today and she didnt seem to concerned by all the fuss until a few hours of (we think) mating then we seperated them. Do you know what the gestation period is for herman's ?

thanks again

Donna & Paul

Hiya,

I was speaking to a vet who x-rayed a tortoise for eggs and she came up clear - I think it was 3-4 weeks later she actually laid eggs. We've had a tortoise here lay eggs just two weeks after the first clutch.
Please don't get your hopes up too much it can sometimes take a year or two before they have any success, though sometimes shorter:-)

Fingers crossed:-)

All the Best
Darren