# Questions about mating



## Aya A.R (Apr 25, 2014)

Hello

I've few question about breeding/mating for tortoises, I've a male greek tortoise and I'm not sure of his age but his picture is in my avatar so you can see the size, now my questions..

1-Is there an age or proper size for mating?
2-I was told mating seasons (or when they want to mate) are always at the end of summer or start of spring, is this true?
3-My male one keeps trying to hump things sometimes which makes me think he wants to mate, is this a sign indeed?
4-As I said on 3, when he does things that makes me think he might wanna mate, I did look for a female turtles and I found one at a friend's house so we sent him there couple of times and he just stood there looking at her and did nothing, does this mean he is still young for mating maybe or this isn't normal?
5-Do males really have to mate? Because what if he just doesn't, can he take this energy somewhere else or its a must?
6-He is also not very sociable, he is very active at our place but when somewhere else or near other tortoises he doesn't move or do much, so can he live alone and be fine?

Thanks in advance


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## Yvonne G (Apr 25, 2014)

Tortoises are solitary creatures. They don't look for 'companions' or 'friends,' preferring to be alone.

Once your male tortoise gets past the coming of age stage of his life, he'll settle down and leave the rocks and other perceived mates alone (hopefully).

If you give him a large habitat with 'things' to walk around and look at, it should make his life more interesting. How boring it must be to wake up in the morning, look out his door and be able to see his whole world. Give him a bigger habitat so you can furnish it with many, many sight barriers. Then place bits of his dinner all around the habitat, making him look for his food. It will make him a much more contented tortoise.


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## Aya A.R (Apr 25, 2014)

Yeah, I do exactly that, Yvonne. And I assume he finds it interesting living here as I even change stuff for him and give him more safe spaces to walk around and he literally has a hell lot of space to walk in with things to walk around and all over and I never put his food in 1 constant place either. I was just worried all this might not be enough for him and wanted to be sure its not only me that thinks tortoises have no problem with solitary because I don't want to deprive him of anything but if he wouldn't touch the female one then there is not much that I can do.


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## Yvonne G (Apr 25, 2014)

Actually male tortoises are much better off mentally if you never show him a female tortoise. Once he's been allowed to breed a female he isn't satisfied in his habitat, constantly searching for ways to get out and try to find another female tortoise. They do settle down after a while, but in the mean time he'll drive you crazy.


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## Aya A.R (Apr 25, 2014)

Good point..
Then I'll focus on making his enviroment more fun for now than getting him a female  
Thanks


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