# Breeding Help Please!



## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi guys im Alec. My two sulcata tortoises are 12 & 13 inches and i dont know when they will mate. They are both two years old but i dont know the sex of them but i think its one boy and one girl. So i just want to know if the requirements for them to mate. Like how big they have to be or how old. Please respond.:shy:


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## Yvonne G (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi Alec:

If you have a male and a female, then when they are ready to breed, they will. Two years of age is quite young. They usually don't reach breeding age until they are over 5 years. But it goes by size more than age. You measure a tortoise in a straight line (not over the curve of the shell) from front to back.

If you post pictures of the under side of your tortoises we can tell you if you have a male and a female.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Ok i will try to take some pics btw thanks

K here are some pics.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

If you dont like these photos just tell me what parts to take photos of.


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## nicoleandrocky (Mar 13, 2012)

They both look like females, can you maybe get a pic of their tails and plastrons?
http://www.tortoise-tracks.org/images/cycle1.gif (this should help with pics)


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Those are appearing to be both females by the photos to me. Still a bit hard to tell at that age and size too. They are rather small to breed. My female didn't produce till she was around 16" which put her around 5-6 years old. They will breed when theyre ready. Just be patient they will be gargantuan before you know it.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Here are the other pics. Sorry if there a little shakey



I also couldnt get the pics of their tails. Im sorry


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Still looking like females to me. Just give it some more time. This summer will give them great growth in an outdoor pen and lots of grass to graze on and they will be ready to breed before you know it. Not a bad thing to have 2 females a male is much easier to find there are a lot that need to be adopted through out the country. Good luck they look good.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks. And by the way, is it true that they will double their size in the first 2 months that they stay outside?


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Not quite double, they should grow at a steady pace. 2-4"of growth a year would be about average if kept outside and fed good diet. You don't want them growing too fast. Can lead to very unhealthy endings.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

And if you have more time can you answer a few of my other questions?


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Let me correct something, that's the rate they should grow at the ones your size. When they are hatchlings they can grow about double in a year, so some of that is partially true. I don't like speeding up growth process because of the issues it can posses. My female seemed to only grow a few inches when she hit 14" every year or more. But she would hit a growth spurt every other year and around 16" and would gain width and weight followed by length growth. She's 10 years old and 21" I'm length and 106 pounds now. 2 years ago she was 19" and 93 pounds. Hope I helped you.

Of course I can! Ask away. I will try and help as best as my experience and knowledge has led me thus far.


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## nicoleandrocky (Mar 13, 2012)

of course!

hope things work out!


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Ok thanks guys. How do you get your tortoise out of eating lettace. My torts loves lettace so much!!! When i go outside to feed them they rush out of their home. But when they find edible weeds and grasses they go back inside. I dont want to starve them what do i do?


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Iceberg is the bad lettuce so stay away from feeding them that. Any dark leafy green. Collars, mustard, turnip greens. Sulcata love bell peppers too and squash. They should go straight to eating the dark leafy greens right away. Also want to give them some natural space. In respects to treating them like a baby. I try not to hand feed my tortoises because they can come accustomed to it and forget to fend for themselves and graze when they eat all the greens and veggies offered. What sort of weeds are you offering? If there outside they should naturally graze and eat the grass their on. Do you know the species of grass you have them enclosed with?


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Well, outside of their enclosure( where im going to let them graze for four hours a day) the grass is regular,dark green. Inside the enclosure the grass is light green and grows in medium sized patches. Its also pretty long and stringy


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Sounds like rye grass. Could you upload a picture of it. Most grasses are good for them. I would keep them outside all the time especially if the weather permits good temperatures. If its still cold at night or varies a huge degree from what you keep them at inside then that's round about the time they need to come in at. When outside temps meet indoor enclosure temps.

Bermuda,buffalo and st.augistine is good grass. You can get a seed mixture at feed stores and just toss it out in the pen and let spring rain and sun take it off. Don't fertilize though. That's hazardous if your torts eat it.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Ok here is what it looks like.


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

Oh yeah perfect for them. I'm no grass expert but looks like coastal burmuda which is perfect. They should eat it up.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Does coastal burmuda have little wheat-like ends

Never mind it was just a little weed that i saw.


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

They should eat those too. There like lawn mowers.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

So, does coastal burmuda, rocks, leaves, dirt, and branches sound like a.suitable substrate?


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

They are savana graze animals. Some rocks are ok. For like a hiding spot. Don't really need the branches or leaves. Just make sure and give them a spot to get out of the sun if they want to. But other than that sounds like they will like it.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

The rocks are more like 2 to 3 inches long. Ill clear the branches and theyjave a hill if they want to climb. There is plenty of basking space. Do you think a dog house would be a suitable house for them. I have drilled a hole in the top for the heat lamp. Do you think i should put dirt or leave it plain in the dog house for them to lay on.


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

You could stuff it with hay just make sure if it rains to change the hay if they eat it all. It can get moldy if it gets super wet and stays stagnant for a while. Dirt works well too.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

I dont know. Should a tortoise enclosure by very well groomed. My enclosure is kind of "messy" like rocks here and dirt there patches of grass. I have seen some other tortoise enclosures, they are so neat and clean. Should i take out all of the concrete rocks i placed back there many years ago, or will it not make a differance. I neatly groomed where their house and water dish is. I need advise


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## tortadise (Mar 13, 2012)

I would clear any debris in the pen. Try and keep it just grass and water dish and a hiding spot. Some rocks or something like a branch for them to crawl on but I'd just keep it grass.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Ok. What age did you move your sulcata or other torts into a outside pen.


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## turtlelady80 (Mar 13, 2012)

You should mix the greens that you are feeding them with orchard grass or Timothy Hay. Wet the hay so it sticks to the greens.They will be picky at first but they will get eventually used to eating grasses. Grasses/weeds should be 70% of their diet. It is very important. I feed my male and female the following: Endive, dandelion greens, green and red leaf, escarole, occasional romaine, occasional collard (for extra calcium) and I mix it with Timothy Hay and or Alfalfa. Optunia pear and cactus pads for treats. Never feed your African tortoise fruit, iceberg. Looks like you got 2 females. Thats a good thing. Getting a male is easy, it's the females that are hard to come by and can be expensive. Good Luck!! 

Oh and I forgot to mention, I had a 15in female sulcata that laid 13 eggs and (they were BIG eggs) back in February. It was her first clutch and she didn't dig a nest and she broke them all except 3 So when your female is ready to lay, be aware of her behavior and make sure to have a proper nesting place for her.


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## alben909 (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for visiting my form and replying. I am going out to get some alf alfa hay tomarrow. Thanks for the advise. Thats so sad about the eggs. Dont you hate when something unexpected happens(like the time i forgot to give my dog water on a super hot day, came home and she was lieing dead in my yard.


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