# Red Footed Tortoise Breeding



## Musadi01 (Oct 18, 2021)

Greetings

I have a pair of red footed tortoises. I have no idea of their background, but they look very different (female is considerably bigger than male and more brightly colored - she sort of has cherry-head markings and normal red-foot size). They mate like bunnies and she produces clutches every few months. I'v tried hatching them a couple of times without success. I'm guessing they're different sub species. Their vet feels that they should be viable but I've read that subspecies rarely produce viable young. Thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Also if anyone has tips about hatching red-foots I'd be interested. Thanks much!


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## jsheffield (Oct 18, 2021)

My understanding is that when you have only two, a male and female, that the male can exhaust himself and the female. It might be better, longterm, for the torts and for the potential of getting some viable eggs, if you either separated them most of the time or got another female or two.

Jamie


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## method89 (Oct 18, 2021)

please post pictures of these torts so we can see what you have and maybe help identify


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## Musadi01 (Oct 18, 2021)

Interesting. Thanks


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## Musadi01 (Oct 18, 2021)

method89 said:


> please post pictures of these torts so we can see what you have and maybe help identify


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## Musadi01 (Oct 18, 2021)

As requested


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## Maggie3fan (Oct 18, 2021)

Please don't shoot me for what I am about to say...you didn't ask but I am gonna tell...those tortoises don't look healthy. The male especially is deformed and very dry...The female has slight pyramiding also very dry looking and the substrate is dry also. RF are forest dwelling animals...they need 85 or 90% humidity...if they are not or have not been unhealthy for a while and he's mating often...she is trying to have calcium and whatever ele is necessary for her to make healthy and viable eggs...Personally, if they were mine I'd seperate them, add supplements to their diet and after a few months start to put them together just long enuf to mate several times...poop ther eggs into the incubator and I think you woulod have a better chance of hatching out some babies.
Why don't you post some photos of their enclosure and we'll tell you what you can do better
That male is not good looking at all...maybe his spermis no good or something.
Here's what your male should look like...see how rounded his carapace is?



So I'm thinking before you got them they were not keptin the way they should have...they are probably shout on vitamens and minerals...if they are not healthy breeding can be difficult.Want to post photos of your habitat?


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## Maggie3fan (Oct 18, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> Please don't shoot me for what I am about to say...you didn't ask but I am gonna tell...those tortoises don't look healthy. The male especially is deformed and very dry...The female has slight pyramiding also very dry looking and the substrate is dry also. RF are forest dwelling animals...they need 85 or 90% humidity...if they are not or have not been unhealthy for a while and he's mating often...she is trying to have calcium and whatever ele is necessary for her to make healthy and viable eggs...Personally, if they were mine I'd seperate them, add supplements to their diet and after a few months start to put them together just long enuf to mate several times...poop ther eggs into the incubator and I think you woulod have a better chance of hatching out some babies.
> Why don't you post some photos of their enclosure and we'll tell you what you can do better
> That male is not good looking at all...maybe his spermis no good or something.
> Here's what your male should look like...see how rounded his carapace is?
> ...


obviously I didn't use spel ck...sorry


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## Musadi01 (Oct 18, 2021)

Thanks. Have to get some pics of the enclosure but will get that done


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## zovick (Oct 18, 2021)

Musadi01 said:


> Greetings
> 
> I have a pair of red footed tortoises. I have no idea of their background, but they look very different (female is considerably bigger than male and more brightly colored - she sort of has cherry-head markings and normal red-foot size). They mate like bunnies and she produces clutches every few months. I'v tried hatching them a couple of times without success. I'm guessing they're different sub species. Their vet feels that they should be viable but I've read that subspecies rarely produce viable young. Thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Also if anyone has tips about hatching red-foots I'd be interested. Thanks much!


Those two Redfoots should be able to reproduce. Maybe it is the incubation technique that is not working.

What are you doing when you incubate the eggs? Temps, substrate, incubator type, etc.?


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## pacific chelonians (Oct 18, 2021)

Plastron photo of the one that looks like a cherry heads plastron


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## ZEROPILOT (Oct 18, 2021)

Living in pairs and "mating like bunnies" is very stressful to the female.
Groups of a few females per male spread out the constant pursuit of one female.
I would separate them.
Decades ago, when I kept a pair together, I also saw very, very few viable eggs. I now believe that it could've been stress related.


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## Tom (Oct 18, 2021)

I agree they should never live as pairs. Separate them and put them together for breeding periodically.

Tell us how you are handling the eggs. What media, how much moisture, what temps, what sort of incubator, etc...


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## Musadi01 (Oct 19, 2021)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Living in pairs and "mating like bunnies" is very stressful to the female.
> Groups of a few females per male spread out the constant pursuit of one female.
> I would separate them.
> Decades ago, when I kept a pair together, I also saw very, very few viable eggs. I now believe that it could've been stress related.


Thanks


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