# question about mating...



## armandoarturo (Sep 10, 2010)

Does anyone knows what happens if family tortoises mates ?
Lets say... female and male brothers tortoises have a clutch of eggs...
(This is not happening, I'm just wondering)  ... 
Do they get deformed hatchlings, or nothing happens?


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## wpk (Sep 10, 2010)

I don't have any personal anecdotes about this, but inbreeding will eventually bring out harmful recessive traits in any species and is something to watch out for and be avoided.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 10, 2010)

Thats what I think aslwell, at least bad things happen to other animals...
I was wondering if someone has information about this doubt


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## Yvonne G (Sep 10, 2010)

No, you don't end up with two-heads or 8 legs. What happens is just like what WPK said. If your brother and sister have a tendency to be susceptible to runny noses, then the babies will have an even greater tendency.

But, usually tortoise clutches are all the same sex so you don't have to worry about that.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 12, 2010)

That sounds reasonable, as all the eggs where incubated under the same temperature... 
Thanks Yvonne...
by the way... are you good at guessing young DTs 4 y/o sex? 
2 of my Dts are 4 years old, but I still cant see any sex mark...


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## Laura (Sep 12, 2010)

its either In breeding or Line breeding.. Line breeding can be used to make a good trait better, but like said before.. bad traits can be made worse.. that would be in breeding...


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## Yvonne G (Sep 12, 2010)

Desert tortoises can sometimes be pretty hard to sex until the males start to show the characteristics. Why don't you post a nice, clear plastron picture, showing the tail and anal scutes and let us all give it a try?


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## Madortoise (Sep 14, 2010)

emysemys said:


> No, you don't end up with two-heads or 8 legs. What happens is just like what WPK said. If your brother and sister have a tendency to be susceptible to runny noses, then the babies will have an even greater tendency.
> 
> But, usually tortoise clutches are all the same sex so you don't have to worry about that.



Oh--that's interesting. I didn't know that about sibs being generally of all same sex.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 15, 2010)

emysemys said:


> Desert tortoises can sometimes be pretty hard to sex until the males start to show the characteristics. Why don't you post a nice, clear plastron picture, showing the tail and anal scutes and let us all give it a try?



sure!
here are the pictures of wera and cata... note wera its smaller and with a yellower color. Cata its bigger and darker color.

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06324.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06325.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06328.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06331.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06332.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06335.jpg

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06337.jpg

It might be too soon to know, as they are still young... 

Also.. I just realized that wera has couple of white/yellow marks on the plastorn.... heres a pic...
I belive it is because of fast growing... because It shouldnt be because of porr nutrition, as I give them good and healthy food, and they live outside... what do you think?

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee388/armandoarturo/DSC06342.jpg


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## Laura (Sep 15, 2010)

I thought they were bigger, then i saw them in your hand.. 
I was going to say females.. but now not sure..
What kind of dog? Aussie? Sheltie??


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## armandoarturo (Sep 15, 2010)

Yes, they are small, jsut 4 years 
But I've know people that sometimes recognize tortoise's sex when they still dont have any sex mark...
about the dog... Its a Pomeranian haha
I wrote a post like a month ago about her.... She thinks she is a tortoise  hahah
She hangs with them, eats grass, weeds and veggies when they are eating...
She even takes sunlight when they are taking it, and gets stuck in the shelter and burrows haahhahah
Im buying a turtle dog costume for halloween for her haha.


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## ChiKat (Sep 19, 2010)

The white/yellow spots look like marbling to me, which is perfectly normal. 
Info on marbling: http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-what-is-marbling?pid=125345
I didn't know DTs had marbling though (but I know next to nothing about this species!)
(And the plastron is actually the bottom of the shell. The carapace is what you are referring to )


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## armandoarturo (Sep 19, 2010)

ChiKat said:


> The white/yellow spots look like marbling to me, which is perfectly normal.
> Info on marbling: http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-what-is-marbling?pid=125345
> I didn't know DTs had marbling though (but I know next to nothing about this species!)
> (And the plastron is actually the bottom of the shell. The carapace is what you are referring to )



Oh! ok!
thanks for correcting me haha... I try my best with my english  haha


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## egyptiandan (Sep 20, 2010)

They look like 2 males to me. 

Danny


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## ChiKat (Sep 20, 2010)

armandoarturo said:


> I try my best with my english  haha



I didn't realize English was not your first language. You speak it (er, type it?) very well!


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## Tom (Sep 20, 2010)

armandoarturo said:


> Yes, they are small, jsut 4 years
> But I've know people that sometimes recognize tortoise's sex when they still dont have any sex mark...
> about the dog... Its a Pomeranian haha
> I wrote a post like a month ago about her.... She thinks she is a tortoise  hahah
> ...



Now that is funny!


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