Laotian Manouria Impressa

mrscruffy

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Just thought I would share an update on my Manouria Impressa, both are very well adjusted to captivity. They eat a good mixed diet, interestingly Ernest only recently started to eat things I consider unnatural for a Manouria’s diet, cooked pumpkin and carrot; whereas Betty loved such foods straight from the start. Mushrooms are still their staple and they love mangos and the different varieties of melons.


Cheers

Scruff
bettycarrotchompin.jpg Bettyonthemove.jpg ernestcontemplating.jpg ernestdontinteruptlunch.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Wow! The stories I've heard about the Impressa were that they are very hard to get acclimated to captive life and that they don't eat and eventually die. Its wonderful to hear a success story and to actually see pictures of these beautiful tortoises.

Does the bright pink nose indicate the tortoise is ready for breeding? If so, I wish you all the success and please be sure to keep us informed.
 

mrscruffy

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Thanks Yvonne, I try my best to make sure they are comfortable and try to replicate aspects of living in the wild. Mine ate within days of arriving and I think the high casualty rate of many wild caught Impressa has to do with the journey between being caught to where they end up. I acquired mine directly from a rural village where the locals traditionally hunt them to eat them (Ernest and Betty were very lucky). In the past such a practice was sustainable, but as the village has become connected to the outside world, they now hunt them not only for local consumption but also to sell to traders for the pet or medicine trade.



Some things I have read about heat and Impressa I think are inaccurate, I have experienced their local environment which gets really hot during the day, although with cooler evenings at altitude than compared to where I live in the lowlands. Mine survived hot season days where the temperature was around 45 degrees Celsius (113F), which they did by choosing themselves very shaded places to rest around the property. Ernest would soak himself most days in the hot weather, but Betty rarely. My observation is that they can handle heat, provided they have shade with water in that shaded area.



They have gone through several periods of mating, but alas no eggs yet. Ernest is persistently keen to ‘engage’ with Betty and he sometimes spends days chasing her around bobbing madly.
 

Yvonne G

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You may have to do an artificial monsoon for them, as the nest building usually happens during the monsoon season.
 

tortadise

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Fantastic, those are some beautiful well aged impressa. I do have to agree with you on the temperature. Manouria can be exposed to some extreme heats. Providing shaded, and large soaking area is best. Glad you have these guys adapting well. Are you over in Laos or in the states? I agree with Yvonne too. They seem to nest during the beginning of the monsoon season and hatch just before the peak of the heaviest rainfall.

Have you tried alocasia, collocasia and taro yet?
 

mrscruffy

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Hi Kelly,

I live in Laos and the monsoon has been upon us for 2 months already (pouring down right now). Betty has an area where she did some digging, which has become her favorite hang out. I have checked it a few times but can't find evidence of her laying, but the area is obscured by plants and I might be missing the nest. Ernest periodically hangs out there too and I wonder whether his presence puts her off laying.

I have alocasia and collocasia in the garden but I have not noticed them being interested in it. Pothos varities, pumpkin vines and ferns do get snacked on occasionally, more so by Ernest.

Ernest is definatly older than Betty, alas I can only estimate their age. Anyone want to guess?
 
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Yvonne G

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I'm not sure if the Impressa builds an above the ground nest, but the other members of the Manouria family do. They nest similar to alligators and crocodiles.

Here's an interesting paper on Impressa co-written by one of our Forum members - Will:

http://tortoise.org/archives/impressa.html

474158gy04azrh2x.gif
 

tortadise

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Thanks Yvonne, I read that paper some time ago and found it very useful. I would like to see more recent studies as it seems the species is still somewhat of a scientific mystery.

I found this interesting paper on a study conducted specifically into Impressa in a Thai national park which is around 50km as the crow flies from my house.
http://www.biology.sc.chula.ac.th/TNH/archives/v12_no2/4-PRATYAPORN Proof2.pdf
They will build a nest indeed. So you can gather some debris from the forest floor if you'd like. Just be very cautious of ants, and fungus. But if you can get some mulch, dirt that would be better. Unless you want to make numerous trips to the jungle. They will build quite a large nest. Impressa being the smallest of Manouria will still crest a large nesting area. How long have you had them? They are very intelligent and need to feel secure for proper laying methods to utilized.

Terms of age, I wouldn't even begin to know. It's so difficult to accurately guess. They are rather smooth and show the signs of a fully mature specimen of impressa. I'd say 30-40 perhaps.
 

mrscruffy

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Hi,beingwatched2.jpg

I got them near the very start of this year and I do believe they are quite intelligent. I usually put a plate of food out in the morning and the evening. Here is Ernest the other morning, watching me working on my laptop through the window on a day when I was late with breakfast. I have noticed both of them take a day or two off feeding every few days. For a very mature wild caught specimen, I was able to tame Ernest very quickly. He will walk right up to me and let me pet him. Betty hates being touched.
Betty and Ernest were mating the other morning and I noted that Betty seems to signal him when he could 'engage'. However, Ernest seems to have driven Betty out of her favorite part of the garden at the moment, which is where I thought she was building a nest. Now she is hanging out in another area she favours, which is tiled and concreted.

I wonder, do female Manouria still mate when they are pregnant?

How large are the nests, in height and diameter? I usually collect my plant litter and deposit in the garden for them.

Scruff
LikeIbeingwatched.jpg
 

tortadise

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The males will constantly breed with females. Females are the ones that will always get the end of the stick. They're always receptive of the sperm too. The nests can get quite large. As large as they want to make them. I've had some 8'x8' 28" deep. Of course impressa are smaller than emys emys. But still will male a large nest.
 

Petra

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Hallo together.
I live in Germany and I keep 2 adult Manouria impressas (named Oskar and Oshahsi :)) and 4 semiadult impressas.
A friend of mine hast regularly bred this type.
I think the keeping ist not so difficult, but the feeding is very specific :rolleyes:
I must apologize for my bad English! P1010026.JPG

many greetings from bavaria
Petra
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Hallo together.
I live in Germany and I keep 2 adult Manouria impressas (named Oskar and Oshahsi :)) and 4 semiadult impressas.
A friend of mine hast regularly bred this type.
I think the keeping ist not so difficult, but the feeding is very specific :rolleyes:
I must apologize for my bad English! View attachment 99163

many greetings from bavaria
Petra
That looks like actual basking behavior with the legs stretched out like that. Fun to see developements with these guys.
 

mrscruffy

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Wow, great to see more manouria thriving. Both my impressa bask with their legs out, indeed I had to move Betty, who was in this stance, this morning from the middle of the drive way before going to work.

Petra, is the tortoise at the top of your picture ok? It seems to have abnormal shell growth.
Cheers
Scruffy
 

Petra

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Wow, great to see more manouria thriving. Both my impressa bask with their legs out, indeed I had to move Betty, who was in this stance, this morning from the middle of the drive way before going to work.

Petra, is the tortoise at the top of your picture ok? It seems to have abnormal shell growth.
Cheers
Scruffy

Hello Scruffy;
nice that Betty also basks :<3: Oskar (in top of the picture) ist ok, but he is a second hand turtle. His carapace ist much to small. But he ist healthy.

Oskar
33.jpg


CIMG2433.jpg
offspring

P1000725.JPG 26.2.14-1.jpg

regards Petra
 

Danou

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Thanks Yvonne, I try my best to make sure they are comfortable and try to replicate aspects of living in the wild. Mine ate within days of arriving and I think the high casualty rate of many wild caught Impressa has to do with the journey between being caught to where they end up. I acquired mine directly from a rural village where the locals traditionally hunt them to eat them (Ernest and Betty were very lucky). In the past such a practice was sustainable, but as the village has become connected to the outside world, they now hunt them not only for local consumption but also to sell to traders for the pet or medicine trade.



Some things I have read about heat and Impressa I think are inaccurate, I have experienced their local environment which gets really hot during the day, although with cooler evenings at altitude than compared to where I live in the lowlands. Mine survived hot season days where the temperature was around 45 degrees Celsius (113F), which they did by choosing themselves very shaded places to rest around the property. Ernest would soak himself most days in the hot weather, but Betty rarely. My observation is that they can handle heat, provided they have shade with water in that shaded area.



They have gone through several periods of mating, but alas no eggs yet. Ernest is persistently keen to ‘engage’ with Betty and he sometimes spends days chasing her around bobbing madly.

Hi mrscruffy,
Just in case you have eggs, i can help to incubate them. As i've made a custom incubator for them.
And this year i have 11 hatch ;-).
I live in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Here's my email :
[email protected]

Cheers.
Danou
 

mrscruffy

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102
Hi mrscruffy,
Just in case you have eggs, i can help to incubate them. As i've made a custom incubator for them.
And this year i have 11 hatch ;-).
I live in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Here's my email :
[email protected]

Cheers.
Danou

Well done of raising the eggs. Thanks for the offer but I have a simple incubator setup myself which relies on the outside ambient temperature.
My Impressa have never produced eggs for me (that I know of, it is possible that some escaped me in the garden) but my Elongated have reproduced.
I also live in Vientiane, small world after all ;-)

Cheers
Scruffy
 

Danou

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Well done of raising the eggs. Thanks for the offer but I have a simple incubator setup myself which relies on the outside ambient temperature.
My Impressa have never produced eggs for me (that I know of, it is possible that some escaped me in the garden) but my Elongated have reproduced.
I also live in Vientiane, small world after all ;-)

Cheers
Scruffy

Hi Scruffy !
Good to hear that !

Cheers
 

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