# Russians laying eggs?



## grogansilver (Aug 8, 2011)

Does any body know when Russian tortoises lay eggs? I do have a big 6" and 5" female which can lay eggs but have not yet! Being were into August now is it still possible I might see eggs? Or is the season for laying eggs up? Reason I ask is I see all these juveniles (Baby's) being offered for sale all over the place! Hum.. Makes me think maybe my females layed eggs and hid them in there out side enclosure and I just don't know it! Or this is just a wasted season!


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## maggi (Aug 8, 2011)

good question i also have a 5 inch and 6 inch female and am wondering when eggs are gonna happen?


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## GBtortoises (Aug 8, 2011)

First the male and female must be large enough to successfully mate and produce eggs. With Russians, most females will be 6" and up and males 5". Occasionally some smaller males will be fertile and able to mate with females. Second, males and females simply being together isn't a guarantee that they will breed and produce eggs. Russian tortoises activities revolve around seasonal changes in the wild. Usually, some degree of seasonal change in required for them to breed in captivity too. Males will often mount females and many people mistakenly assume that they are breeding, rarely so. Males are persistant and will often attempt to mate with females in many different conditions. Only when the female is ready to be bred will actual copulation take place. This is where seasonal conditioning comes into play. Breeding of temperate climate species like Russians and other Testudo species takes place in the spring and early summer when they're kept under "natural" conditions. Some additional breeding may also take place in the early fall with some too but rarely any egg production unless they are brought indoors and warmed up. 

I can tell you from several years of experience with Russian tortoises here in New York State that they almost never breed and produce eggs when kept outdoors. In the wild their climate is very harsh and dry. They awake from hibernation to nearly dessert like conditions and extremely hot temperatures instantly. They're active long enough to mate, nest, bulk up again and then go back into aestivation to escape the extreme heat and dryness. They spend much of the summer buried, sometimes coming out in the early morning to feed quickly before it gets too hot. Then in the early fall they may again be active for about 4-7 weeks to prepare to go into hibernation for the very long winters in their environment. Here in New York State, including the Middletown area where you live, it's too cool most of the time and too damp. While they are usually active much more here than they would be in the wild our climate in the Northeast is rarely hot enough to induce them to breed and produce offspring. Anyone that I know that has sucess breeding Russians in the Northeastern U.S. either keeps them exclusively indoors where they can easily control the tortoise's environment or at least keeps them indoors for much of the year only putting them out in the later part of the summer. Even in the last scenario they do most of their breeding and nesting while indoors under controlled conditions.


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## maggi (Aug 8, 2011)

i reside in the uk so are things different here for trying to breed the russian,my tortoises spend every night indoors and outdoors in the day when the weather is fine,they do not like a viv so having trouble keeping them in there,i have a table for them with the heat mat, in my warm sunny conservatory,they eat well and love dry food as well as greens and flower heads,but i wouldnt have a clue if my females were with eggs or not.....


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## grogansilver (Aug 8, 2011)

GBtortoises said:


> First the male and female must be large enough to successfully mate and produce eggs. With Russians, most females will be 6" and up and males 5". Occasionally some smaller males will be fertile and able to mate with females. Second, males and females simply being together isn't a guarantee that they will breed and produce eggs. Russian tortoises activities revolve around seasonal changes in the wild. Usually, some degree of seasonal change in required for them to breed in captivity too. Males will often mount females and many people mistakenly assume that they are breeding, rarely so. Males are persistant and will often attempt to mate with females in many different conditions. Only when the female is ready to be bred will actual copulation take place. This is where seasonal conditioning comes into play. Breeding of temperate climate species like Russians and other Testudo species takes place in the spring and early summer when they're kept under "natural" conditions. Some additional breeding may also take place in the early fall with some too but rarely any egg production unless they are brought indoors and warmed up.
> 
> I can tell you from several years of experience with Russian tortoises here in New York State that they almost never breed and produce eggs when kept outdoors. In the wild their climate is very harsh and dry. They awake from hibernation to nearly dessert like conditions and extremely hot temperatures instantly. They're active long enough to mate, nest, bulk up again and then go back into aestivation to escape the extreme heat and dryness. They spend much of the summer buried, sometimes coming out in the early morning to feed quickly before it gets too hot. Then in the early fall they may again be active for about 4-7 weeks to prepare to go into hibernation for the very long winters in their environment. Here in New York State, including the Middletown area where you live, it's too cool most of the time and too damp. While they are usually active much more here than they would be in the wild our climate in the Northeast is rarely hot enough to induce them to breed and produce offspring. Anyone that I know that has sucess breeding Russians in the Northeastern U.S. either keeps them exclusively indoors where they can easily control the tortoise's environment or at least keeps them indoors for much of the year only putting them out in the later part of the summer. Even in the last scenario they do most of their breeding and nesting while indoors under controlled conditions.


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