# Interbreeding???



## jetciti711 (May 15, 2011)

Can anyone tell me if a Gophetr and a Yellow Foot can have kids?

The reason for my question is I have one of each and a small sulcata and now have eggs!


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## Yvonne G (May 15, 2011)

Hi jetciti711:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

It is highly unlikely that eggs from a gopher tortoise and a yellowfoot tortoise would be viable.

Now to address your problem: Tortoises from different continents should not be kept in the same habitat. It is advisable for you to have a pen for the gopher, another pen for the yellowfoot and a third pen for the sulcata.

1. gopher tortoise - (from Sarasota County gov't page) "Gopher tortoises prefer dry habitats, like pine flatwoods, scrub type habitats and coastal sand dunes. These areas provide sandy soils for digging their burrows, which can be identified by their typical half-moon shaped entrance (see belwo) and mound of sand in front.
They also prefer open areas with plenty of sunlight for basking, incubating eggs and sustaining the type of low-growing plants that they eat.
The tortoiseâ€™s burrow is a valuable wildlife resource since several species such as the indigo snake, gopher frog and the Florida mouse use the burrow for shelter; these species are also listed as Threatened or Species of Special Concern."

2. yellowfoot tortoise - "These tortoises like to build their nests in the dense rain forest, the tropical lowlands, or hidden in the growth of a thick forest."

3. sulcata - lives in open grass land

So, as you can see, the three tortoises all require totally different habitats to be healthy and grow strong.

So, besides the different habitat aspect of tortoise-keeping, tortoises from different continents have micro-organisms in their bodies that might make the other tortoise sick or even dead.

We're very glad that you found our site, and I hope you'll take the time to go through our archives and learn more about your tortoises.


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## Terry Allan Hall (May 15, 2011)

Possibly one might've been bred before you aquired her...it seems they can sometimes store fertilized eggs for 3 (or more) years before laying them.

Also, I've heard that it's possible for a tortoise to lay unfertilized eggs, like many birds do.


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## ALDABRAMAN (May 15, 2011)

Welcome.


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## Madkins007 (May 15, 2011)

Crossbreeds are tricky. The more closely two species are related, the more likely they can crossbreed.

In general, if two species have different genera names (like _Gopherus_ and _Chelonoidis_), they cannot crossbreed. There have been a few exceptions, but not many.


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## Laura (May 16, 2011)

since the Gopher has been with your other two for three years.. probably best to not allow it to 'run away' and go back to the wild. It may expose others to un natural 'bugs' from your other two. 
Can you seperate them at all?


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