# Russian tortoise egg laying



## KatyshaB (Apr 5, 2016)

Hello everyone! I have two Russian Torts, My first (i'd had him for a while) is a 5 1/2 in Russian tort named 'Bosley' I believe he is wild caught (If I new he was when I saw him I wouldn't had gotten him), and I've had him for about 4 years. My second one is a female Russian Tort named 'Natalie' she is about 7 inches. She is captive bred and I've had her for about a month. The main reason I got her was to breed them both and get babies! They started breeding one the second day. I kept them together for four days and then I separated them and I haven't put them together since. I REALLY hope Natalie is fertile. And I know the ways to tell if they are fertile. But have they mated enough times for her to be fertile (I got Natalie at Petco, she was with another Male, but they said that they haven't seen them breed)? Or do I have to put them together more. And has the time for her to become fertile past? Because in the book I read it says it usually works the first few weeks after hibernation.


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## Crzt4torts (Apr 5, 2016)

KatyshaB said:


> Hello everyone! I have two Russian Torts, My first (i'd had him for a while) is a 5 1/2 in Russian tort named 'Bosley' I believe he is wild caught (If I new he was when I saw him I wouldn't had gotten him), and I've had him for about 4 years. My second one is a female Russian Tort named 'Natalie' she is about 7 inches. She is captive bred and I've had her for about a month. The main reason I got her was to breed them both and get babies! They started breeding one the second day. I kept them together for four days and then I separated them and I haven't put them together since. I REALLY hope Natalie is fertile. And I know the ways to tell if they are fertile. But have they mated enough times for her to be fertile (I got Natalie at Petco, she was with another Male, but they said that they haven't seen them breed)? Or do I have to put them together more. And has the time for her to become fertile past? Because in the book I read it says it usually works the first few weeks after hibernation.


I have never hibernated my pair, they mate throughout the year - more in spring, but he seems happy to mate given the chance whenever!


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## KatyshaB (Apr 5, 2016)

I do not hibernate my pair either. I just mean after winter is over I put them together. I know they mate throughout the year. But I mean when the female will get fertile. Because I am not going to stress out my female by putting them together often, only if every time they mate there is a chance they will mate. Well, in more simpler terms, I want to know when and how long Natalie's 'period' will be. So that I can only put them together for that amount of time.


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## KatyshaB (Apr 5, 2016)

When I said: "Because I am not going to stress out my female by putting them together often, only if every time they mate there is a chance they will MATE"
Just switch out the word 'mate' in capitol letters to "Become Fertile" Sorry, typo


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## KatyshaB (Apr 5, 2016)

Bosley and Natalie have already mated several times, when I got Natalie, Bosley left her alone for the night but in the morning they started mating. Bosley's season and weather patterns are all mucked up. (This is my fault, and I'm trying to help him but it's a slow process) For an example, today is April 5th right? Well he has been trying to hibernate in the spring. And I don't know if it's me not getting him outside enough (They are both kept indoors), or me keeping his heat lamp on everyday. They are both mature, and this might have been the first time Bosley has ever seeing a female. Triggering there sex was no problem. And I'm not going to be able to make every single tiny difference in there life as you say to trigger sexual actions as you say. People have said it is hard to get torts to mate, NOT with me! It was easier then training them to eat from my hand (that was surprisingly easy to do). So, because it was surprising easy for me to get them to breed, is that because they both had the right genes and the perfect environment to breed quickly, or did something weird happen?


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## tortadise (Apr 5, 2016)

KatyshaB said:


> Bosley and Natalie have already mated several times, when I got Natalie, Bosley left her alone for the night but in the morning they started mating. Bosley's season and weather patterns are all mucked up. (This is my fault, and I'm trying to help him but it's a slow process) For an example, today is April 5th right? Well he has been trying to hibernate in the spring. And I don't know if it's me not getting him outside enough (They are both kept indoors), or me keeping his heat lamp on everyday. They are both mature, and this might have been the first time Bosley has ever seeing a female. Triggering there sex was no problem. And I'm not going to be able to make every single tiny difference in there life as you say to trigger sexual actions as you say. People have said it is hard to get torts to mate, NOT with me! It was easier then training them to eat from my hand (that was surprisingly easy to do). So, because it was surprising easy for me to get them to breed, is that because they both had the right genes and the perfect environment to breed quickly, or did something weird happen?


How large are they and age? Russian tortoises are found in some rather harshe environments with exceptionally long winters. Which is why males are so aggressive, and females too. They have such a short window to be awake, consume, procreate and thrive before the next hibernation, so they naturally are a "wired" hyper species to map, breed and stay alive as quick as possible. That being said they grow incredibly fast to a size that most think are adult. But that size and rapid growth typically plays a role in survival, the larger the mass the warmer and easier for them to withstand elemental conditions. Most females won't develope follicles (puberty in a sense) until 3-6 years. Can be the earlier in captivity. Makes will and can begin breeding attempts the first year. So really almost all the 4-5" Russians available are actually very young specimens with a sub adult size. First Russian eggs I ever got was a specimen that I had for over 6 years and was 5.5-6" at time of purchase. Also the female has be receptive and the male has to be successful. It's best to keep them separate and introduce the male for "visits" during spring and awake time. If they're kept together all the time most likely he is just dominating and establishing alpha behaviorism towards a claim on territory.


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## tortadise (Apr 5, 2016)

It can also depend on which type of Russian. Kazakhstani are much more aggressive because of the most northern range for the species and much longer winters. Uzbekistani, Azerbaijan are similar too, your Pakistani ones tend to be the slower growing and more readily imported specimens.


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## KatyshaB (Apr 5, 2016)

So, if there '"readily important specimens" (I'm putting that in quotation marks because I don't know what that means) then does that mean there sexual trigger is more easy to trigger?


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## tortadise (Apr 6, 2016)

It means those types of Russians are more common in the trade, as those parts of the range export them and other don't.


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## Crzt4torts (Apr 6, 2016)

I got my pair about 12 years ago. At the time, male was about 5", female about 4 1/2 ". In 12 years with us, the male did not grow much (I assume wild caught mature adult) but female grew to about 7 1/2 ". Interestingly enough it took almost 11 years together before she actually began to lay eggs, maybe 9 or so years before we noticed any actual mating - so I believe she only just became sexually mature these last few years. She was always the 'head bobbing' one in her earlier years, keeping him away from her before she was ready I think.


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## KatyshaB (Apr 8, 2016)

tortadise said:


> How large are they and age?


So, first off. Congrats on winning the calendar contest! But anyway, they ONLY see each other in the spring. They have a two week window where I put the female in on and off. As for size. I will send you a pic of them.


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## KatyshaB (Apr 8, 2016)

Natalie is on the right. Followed by Bosley, on the left.


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## Crzt4torts (Apr 9, 2016)

here are Anastasia (left) and Timo (right)


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## KatyshaB (Apr 9, 2016)

Crzt4torts said:


> View attachment 169905
> here are Anastasia (left) and Timo (right)


So sweet


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## Crzt4torts (Apr 9, 2016)

KatyshaB said:


> Natalie is on the right. Followed by Bosley, on the left.


I think it interesting that both our males are darker, brown -and both females have more yellow coloring in shells, Just cool coincidence.
Bosley is a handsome guy


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## KatyshaB (Apr 9, 2016)

Crzt4torts said:


> I think it interesting that both our males are darker, brown -and both females have more yellow coloring in shells, Just cool coincidence.
> Bosley is a handsome guy


Thanks, tortoises are really beautiful, I like your names of your torts, (Mine are named after Charlie's Angels) I have seen females likes ours, and some females like the way Bosley and Timo look. It really is a coincidence. I really like the name Anastasia. GREAT name


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