Good Morning all - Angulata Chersina

CarolM · Dec 25, 2017

Markw84 said:
@CarolM I would be a bit concerned about covering the egg 75% with native soil. An egg can get suffocated and needs air around it. When laying eggs, tortoises carefully construct a chamber that is open to lay their eggs in. And when they lay, the carefully turn the eggs and position it so it is not buried and moving freely in the chamber. When they cover the nest chamber, they are not simply burying the eggs. They release water as they are digging and create some mud they form a plug with to plug the top of the nest chamber, leaving the eggs with open air around them. An egg simply buried in dirt will suffocate.

Most of us use vermiculite as it allow air flow through it and around the egg. Some simply place the eggs on a moist surface. Just ensure there is good air contact around the egg.

Okay. Thank you for that Mark. I actually went and bought vermiculite and replaced the soil. As after reading more of the posts on incubation I rethought the use of the soil. I also want to know if I can protect the eggs in their container could I possibly put them outside during the day where they will get the natural heat of the day and then bring them in during the night? I would place them in the same spot where they were originally laid. So not in direct sunlight and under a bird cage top for protection. Or should I leave them where they are inside.

Markw84 · Dec 25, 2017

I would leave them inside. Tortoise nests have a lot going on that we cannot duplicate simply putting something in the same location. The thermal mass of the earth and stable temperatures at even 8-12cm is amazing. That also protects and ensures humidity within the chamber

I would leave the eggs where you can best control temps and avoid desiccating conditions. Avoid the possibility of sudden temp swings. A slow and even swing over the course of day/night might indeed be good. But nothing sudden

CarolM · Dec 25, 2017

Markw84 said:
I would leave them inside. Tortoise nests have a lot going on that we cannot duplicate simply putting something in the same location. The thermal mass of the earth and stable temperatures at even 8-12cm is amazing. That also protects and ensures humidity within the chamber

I would leave the eggs where you can best control temps and avoid desiccating conditions. Avoid the possibility of sudden temp swings. A slow and even swing over the course of day/night might indeed be good. But nothing sudden

Thank you Mark and a Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Kapidolo Farms · Dec 25, 2017

Looking at the female who laid the egg - the shell tells a story, the story is of a much older animal. The small bit of time I was finding wild angulates included some that laid eggs on the soil surface, so it's not the weird to me.

Thanks much for sharing your animals with us.

kingsley · Dec 28, 2017

Great!! Fertile eggs!!

CarolM · Jan 15, 2018

Photo time.
I wanted to take a photo of Baby's tail but didn't get it right. But I did take some nice ones. And Baby has decided lately that instead of eating the cuttlebone she would rather use it as a basking rock.

CarolM · Jan 16, 2018

Some more pics. Enjoy.
1st 5 are of the male - I call him Blue he likes to come out in the morning and bask in the morning sun and the last two are of the small female she is hiding in the leaves.

CarolM · Jan 16, 2018

CarolM said:
Some more pics. Enjoy.
1st 5 are of the male - I call him Blue he likes to come out in the morning and bask in the morning sun and the last two are of the small female she is hiding in the leaves. View attachment 227761 View attachment 227762 View attachment 227763 View attachment 227764 View attachment 227765 View attachment 227767 View attachment 227768

Oh dear my pictures have posted sideways again.

CarolM · Jan 16, 2018

If you have a look at the scute in front of Blue you can see a bump on it. Now have a look at Baby's pictures and you will see that bump has come through on her front scute as well. So you can definitely see that Baby is Blue's. I say Her for baby now but I have a sneaky suspicion she is a he. The tail is quite long. Anyway time will tell eventually.

CarolM · Jan 16, 2018

CarolM said:
If you have a look at the scute in front of Blue you can see a bump on it. Now have a look at Baby's pictures and you will see that bump has come through on her front scute as well. So you can definitely see that Baby is Blue's. I say Her for baby now but I have a sneaky suspicion she is a he. The tail is quite long. Anyway time will tell eventually.

A pic of Baby for comparison

CarolM · Jan 27, 2018

Good Afternoon all. I need some advice please from the experts. I have have noticed a bit of white coming up on Baby's top scutes. Please can you have a look and let me know if I should be worried. BTW Baby's name is becoming complicated to carry on calling her Baby. So her name is now changing to Rue. Thanks Bambam for the suggestion.

CarolM · Jan 27, 2018

CarolM said:
Good Afternoon all. I need some advice please from the experts. I have have noticed a bit of white coming up on Baby's top scutes. Please can you have a look and let me know if I should be worried. BTW Baby's name is becoming complicated to carry on calling her Baby. So her name is now changing to Rue. Thanks Bambam for the suggestion.View attachment 228820 View attachment 228821

Pics of both sides of Rue's enclosure the temps and humidty. And her plastron.the third pic is today and the fourth from a while ago around Christmas time.

Bambam1989 · Jan 27, 2018

CarolM said:
Good Afternoon all. I need some advice please from the experts. I have have noticed a bit of white coming up on Baby's top scutes. Please can you have a look and let me know if I should be worried. BTW Baby's name is becoming complicated to carry on calling her Baby. So her name is now changing to Rue. Thanks Bambam for the suggestion.View attachment 228820 View attachment 228821

Yay I got mentioned! [emoji6]
I don't see anything to be concerned about on the shell but I'm not an expert..

CarolM · Jan 27, 2018

Bambam1989 said:
Yay I got mentioned! [emoji6]
I don't see anything to be concerned about on the shell but I'm not an expert..

Thank goodness the forum is back online. I couldn't access it right after I posted this until now.

CarolM · Jan 27, 2018

Bambam1989 said:
Yay I got mentioned! [emoji6]
I don't see anything to be concerned about on the shell but I'm not an expert..

BTW Thanks Bambam. You have done quite alot of research and help alot of people. So even if you say you are not an expert I am biased and a over protective Mom so it is always good to get someone elses opinion.

Bambam1989 · Jan 27, 2018

CarolM said:
BTW Thanks Bambam. You have done quite alot of research and help alot of people. So even if you say you are not an expert I am biased and a over protective Mom so it is always good to get someone elses opinion.

[emoji5] you made me blush..

CarolM · Feb 12, 2018

My update of Little Rue. Was difficult to take a photo of her by the ruler as she didn't want to stay still. Included some of those photo's just for fun. As well as of her eating - picking out the tortoise food pellets before her greens. She loves those. Luckily she does not get them everyday.

Bambam1989 · Feb 12, 2018

Rue has such cute "frog legs" in the scale pic!

CarolM · Feb 12, 2018

Bambam1989 said:
Rue has such cute "frog legs" in the scale pic!

She is becoming quite the little character. If I put her on the scale she stays still. But as soon as she is on the towel she thinks it is time to walk. Lol

William Lee Kohler · Feb 26, 2018

It seems to me that her shell is starting to pyramid. Are you keeping her indoors? If so what do you have for lighting?

Good Morning all - Angulata Chersina

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