# breeding leopards



## klinej50 (Jun 22, 2013)

Hi, I live in San Antonio Texas and I already have one male leopard tortoise, but I am looking to get two more around the same age for them to breed. I want to get them as baby's so they can grow up together but the breeder says there is no way to be completely sure they are giving us a male and a female. How do I go about getting a male and a female to breed? I plan on breeding in a couple of years because I am moving to the country and will have an abundance of land for all the little guys.


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## mctlong (Jun 22, 2013)

The breeder's right. Its almost impossible to determine sex in baby torts by just looking at them. The breeder can regulate the heat during incubation to increase the odds of having a male or female, but that strategy is not gauranteed. The only way to know for sure is to take the animal to a specialized reptile vet and have an expensive, invasive procedure done called an endoscapy which sends a little scope up to look at the sex organs.


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## Tom (Jun 22, 2013)

If you are starting with hatchlings, it will take at least 5-6 years, and likely longer, for them to reach maturity and start producing fertile eggs.

Either you buy a bunch of hatchlings and hope you end up with some females, or you buy some older ones that are already mature enough to sex. If you buy from a breeder that attempts to temp sex, your chances of getting the sexes you want will be greater, but not guaranteed.

And it's generally better to have a small group, not a pair.


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## JoesMum (Jun 22, 2013)

mctlong said:


> The breeder's right. Its almost impossible to determine sex in baby torts by just looking at them. The breeder can regulate the heat during incubation to increase the odds of having a male or female, but that strategy is not gauranteed. The only way to know for sure is to take the animal to a specialized reptile vet and have an expensive, invasive procedure done called an endoscapy which sends a little scope up to look at the sex organs.



Exactly what he said


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## mctlong (Jun 22, 2013)

JoesMum said:


> Exactly what he said



Hey, what _she_ said.


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## JoesMum (Jun 22, 2013)

mctlong said:


> JoesMum said:
> 
> 
> > Exactly what he said
> ...



Whoops! Sorry :redface:


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## mctlong (Jun 22, 2013)

JoesMum said:


> mctlong said:
> 
> 
> > JoesMum said:
> ...




Thats okay.


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## dds7155 (Jun 22, 2013)

Vickie (tortoise yard) incubates at the temp to hopefully get more females , the leopard i got from her is 8 months and smooth and super healthy, utube or google tortoiseyard ,she's one of the best


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