Red Footed Tortoise Breeding

Musadi01

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Greetings

I have a pair of red footed tortoises. I have no idea of their background, but they look very different (female is considerably bigger than male and more brightly colored - she sort of has cherry-head markings and normal red-foot size). They mate like bunnies and she produces clutches every few months. I'v tried hatching them a couple of times without success. I'm guessing they're different sub species. Their vet feels that they should be viable but I've read that subspecies rarely produce viable young. Thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Also if anyone has tips about hatching red-foots I'd be interested. Thanks much!
 

jsheffield

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My understanding is that when you have only two, a male and female, that the male can exhaust himself and the female. It might be better, longterm, for the torts and for the potential of getting some viable eggs, if you either separated them most of the time or got another female or two.

Jamie
 

method89

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please post pictures of these torts so we can see what you have and maybe help identify
 

Maggie3fan

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Please don't shoot me for what I am about to say...you didn't ask but I am gonna tell...those tortoises don't look healthy. The male especially is deformed and very dry...The female has slight pyramiding also very dry looking and the substrate is dry also. RF are forest dwelling animals...they need 85 or 90% humidity...if they are not or have not been unhealthy for a while and he's mating often...she is trying to have calcium and whatever ele is necessary for her to make healthy and viable eggs...Personally, if they were mine I'd seperate them, add supplements to their diet and after a few months start to put them together just long enuf to mate several times...poop ther eggs into the incubator and I think you woulod have a better chance of hatching out some babies.
Why don't you post some photos of their enclosure and we'll tell you what you can do better
That male is not good looking at all...maybe his spermis no good or something.
Here's what your male should look like...see how rounded his carapace is?
100_7713.JPG100_0167.JPG
So I'm thinking before you got them they were not keptin the way they should have...they are probably shout on vitamens and minerals...if they are not healthy breeding can be difficult.Want to post photos of your habitat?
 

Maggie3fan

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Please don't shoot me for what I am about to say...you didn't ask but I am gonna tell...those tortoises don't look healthy. The male especially is deformed and very dry...The female has slight pyramiding also very dry looking and the substrate is dry also. RF are forest dwelling animals...they need 85 or 90% humidity...if they are not or have not been unhealthy for a while and he's mating often...she is trying to have calcium and whatever ele is necessary for her to make healthy and viable eggs...Personally, if they were mine I'd seperate them, add supplements to their diet and after a few months start to put them together just long enuf to mate several times...poop ther eggs into the incubator and I think you woulod have a better chance of hatching out some babies.
Why don't you post some photos of their enclosure and we'll tell you what you can do better
That male is not good looking at all...maybe his spermis no good or something.
Here's what your male should look like...see how rounded his carapace is?
View attachment 334796View attachment 334797
So I'm thinking before you got them they were not kept in the way they should have...they are probably short on vitamens and minerals...if they are not healthy breeding can be difficult.Want to post photos of your habitat?
obviously I didn't use spel ck...sorry
 

zovick

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Greetings

I have a pair of red footed tortoises. I have no idea of their background, but they look very different (female is considerably bigger than male and more brightly colored - she sort of has cherry-head markings and normal red-foot size). They mate like bunnies and she produces clutches every few months. I'v tried hatching them a couple of times without success. I'm guessing they're different sub species. Their vet feels that they should be viable but I've read that subspecies rarely produce viable young. Thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Also if anyone has tips about hatching red-foots I'd be interested. Thanks much!
Those two Redfoots should be able to reproduce. Maybe it is the incubation technique that is not working.

What are you doing when you incubate the eggs? Temps, substrate, incubator type, etc.?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Living in pairs and "mating like bunnies" is very stressful to the female.
Groups of a few females per male spread out the constant pursuit of one female.
I would separate them.
Decades ago, when I kept a pair together, I also saw very, very few viable eggs. I now believe that it could've been stress related.
 

Tom

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I agree they should never live as pairs. Separate them and put them together for breeding periodically.

Tell us how you are handling the eggs. What media, how much moisture, what temps, what sort of incubator, etc...
 

Musadi01

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Living in pairs and "mating like bunnies" is very stressful to the female.
Groups of a few females per male spread out the constant pursuit of one female.
I would separate them.
Decades ago, when I kept a pair together, I also saw very, very few viable eggs. I now believe that it could've been stress related.
Thanks
 

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