# Here goes!!!



## FranklinTturtle (Sep 16, 2011)

If you have a female tortoise will she lay eggs without mating?


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## cdmay (Sep 16, 2011)

Yes. I have a friend in Canada who has raised three females together but they were never, ever with a male.
Yet one of the females nests and lays eggs each year. But they are not fertile.


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## Tom (Sep 16, 2011)

None of mine ever have, but as Carl pointed out, it is possible.


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## Torty Mom (Sep 16, 2011)

And....from what I have heard some species can hold sperm for 3 or 4 years and then lay fertile eggs! Crazy!!


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## GBtortoises (Sep 17, 2011)

Yes, sexually mature females will lay eggs. But obviously unless she's been bred by a male in previous years they aren't going to be fertile. Many people that have wild caught females of a species and no males will get fertile eggs from those females because they had been bred in the wild prior to being brought into captivity. The fertility rate decreases each year. I've heard of wild caught females producing fertile eggs as long as 5 years after being in captivity.


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## FranklinTturtle (Sep 17, 2011)

Thank you every one. I was just wondering just in case Franklin turns out to be a Franklynn. I would die if I seen eggs outside.


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