# Natural Incubation ?



## iLykeTuRtL3z (Dec 29, 2011)

So since I'm a curious cat, I was wondering why everyone artificially incubates their tortoise eggs ?? What would happen if you left them where the female laid them ?? Would the develop ? How long would it take ?


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## kimber_lee_314 (Dec 29, 2011)

I think most of us artificially incubate. They might still hatch if they are left in the nest, but there are so many more variables and it takes longer. I actually leave all my box turtle eggs in the ground. They seem to do better there.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 29, 2011)

Most of us don't live in a climate where tortoises occur naturally. And tortoises don't occur naturally because the eggs won't hatch in the ground due to climate.

But if we were lucky enough to be able to hatch them in the ground, then you have other things to worry about...ants eating the eggs/babies, raccoons digging up the eggs, not being able to temperature-sex the babies, and on and on.

I have upon occasion, found a stray box turtle baby or three that incubated in the ground. But more often than not, they get eaten by birds when they hatch out, or they just don't hatch because the ground isn't warm enough.


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## Katherine (Dec 29, 2011)

I leave the majority of box turtle nests untouched and regularly find baby box turtles in my pens or even juveniles that have clearly hatched out there and just flown under my radar for a year or so; but the box turtles I keep are also all native to my area. 

I don't like to hatch more Sulcata eggs then I feel I can find responsible homes for; so over the years I have left many clutches in the ground. I have never, not once, had a single sulcata egg hatch if left in the ground. I have amazing hatchrates when incubated indoors so I am confident it is the incubation conditions that prevent them from hatching outside; not the eggs themselves. Not surprising really since I live in conditions incredibly different from a sulcatas natural nesting ground. That's why I incubate inside : )


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## Melly-n-shorty (Dec 29, 2011)

My coworker bought a house not to long ago. Just after he moved in he started finding dead sulcata babies (the prev. Owner must of been breading them). So he started searching his back yard 3 times a day. They ended up with14 babies but there would have been 32 if they had all lived. Ants, cats, and birds got to more then half of them.


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## iLykeTuRtL3z (Dec 29, 2011)

OH !! I forgot about temp . . .DUh !! I live in So Cal and for some reason thought everyone had high temps most of the year !! Im a silly goose !!

If I breed my Russians DO u think I can leave them in the nest ?? My coldest months are January and mid February ?

I have no cats, and the only birds we have here are house sparrows and finches, and rare blue jays .. . and hummingbirds. Ants might be the only issue


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## dmmj (Dec 29, 2011)

If your russian lays and you want babies, I would suggest incubating, even though So Cal is warmer than most of the country, I don't know of anyone in So Cal who incubates them in the ground naturally. Of course you could always try it one year and see what happens, I personally would like to hear some results on that issue.


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## Katherine (Dec 29, 2011)

Melly-n-shorty said:


> My coworker bought a house not to long ago. Just after he moved in he started finding dead sulcata babies (the prev. Owner must of been breading them). So he started searching his back yard 3 times a day. They ended up with14 babies but there would have been 32 if they had all lived. Ants, cats, and birds got to more then half of them.



Curious what neck of the woods your coworker is in? It would be cool to live somewhere that natural outdoor temps were conducive to ground incubation. Pretty interesting thing to find in a new backyard!


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## Melly-n-shorty (Dec 29, 2011)

They live in phoenix az. Our summer lasted forever this year so it was still 105-110 right up to winter. I think we got 2 weeks of fall this year  lucky for the tort babies.


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## ShadowRancher (Dec 29, 2011)

Melly-n-shorty said:


> My coworker bought a house not to long ago. Just after he moved in he started finding dead sulcata babies (the prev. Owner must of been breading them). So he started searching his back yard 3 times a day. They ended up with14 babies but there would have been 32 if they had all lived. Ants, cats, and birds got to more then half of them.



That's insane...those babies are lucky your coworker found them


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## ALDABRAMAN (Dec 29, 2011)

1). Ants
2). Coons
3). Too cold


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## Melly-n-shorty (Dec 30, 2011)

ShadowRancher said:


> Melly-n-shorty said:
> 
> 
> > My coworker bought a house not to long ago. Just after he moved in he started finding dead sulcata babies (the prev. Owner must of been breading them). So he started searching his back yard 3 times a day. They ended up with14 babies but there would have been 32 if they had all lived. Ants, cats, and birds got to more then half of them.
> ...



yea it all worked out. they are still really sad about the ones that passed. their dog got some of the first few before they knew they were back there.


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