Can they have babies?

[mikey meyer]

I just saw my redfoot trying to mate with my sulcata. Is it possible for them to have babies?

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Possible, anythings possible. Likely, no. The fact that your redfoot is even big enough to mount the Sulcata to me says the Sulcata probably isn't even big enough yet to be sexually mature. (Keep in mind I know little to nothing about redfoots) Even if possible its not a good idea, I'd seperate them.

 

[mikey meyer]

ok thank you

 

[Redstrike]

Possible, anythings possible. Likely, no. The fact that your redfoot is even big enough to mount the Sulcata to me says the Sulcata probably isn't even big enough yet to be sexually mature. (Keep in mind I know little to nothing about redfoots) Even if possible its not a good idea, I'd seperate them.

I second that vote!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Closely related animals can hybridize, although the hybrid offspring won't necessarily be fertile. More distantly related animals have been known to hybridize as well, but the greater the distance, the less likely it is that the mating will produce hybrids. Or if it does, the less likely it is that they will be healthy or long-lived. And if they do, the less likely it is that they will be fertile. Many animals that are willing to hybridize in captivity do not do so in the wild.

Redfoots have been known to hybridize with the closely related yellowfoot in captivity, and perhaps in the wild as well. I don't know if the resulting offspring are fertile or not. No sulcata hybrids have been found in the wild, although in captivity they have been hybridized with leopard tortoises, which are not particularly closely related to them. I don't know if sulcata x leopard tortoise hybrids are fertile, but I doubt it.

If your redfoot is trying to mate with one of your sulcatas, then it is because he does not have access to any females of his own species, and his sex drive is strong enough to drive him to mate outside not only his own species, but even outside his own genus. With redfoots being native to South America, and sulcatas being native to Africa's Sahel, these two types of tortoises are very distantly related. Although they are both in the same family (Testudinidae), they have been separated for many millions of years and have different courtship signals and genetics. If they do breed, perhaps no fertilization will take place. If it does, the hybrid embryos might not even survive long enough to hatch from their eggs. If they do, they could have health problems or a shortened lifespan, and at the very least are almost sure to be sterile.

Allowing captive animals to hybridize is not even advisable. Even if these interspecific, even intergeneric hybrids are healthy and can reproduce, they would have no conservation value. If you think of keeping exotic pets as a kind of Noah's Ark, allowing distantly related species to hybridize with each other defeats that purpose. Keeping different tortoise species together raises the risk of disease transmission anyway. If you observed this mounting behavior, you now have yet another reason to house your redfoot and sulcatas separately.

 

[Redstrike]

Closely related animals can hybridize, although the hybrid offspring won't necessarily be fertile. More distantly related animals have been known to hybridize as well, but the greater the distance, the less likely it is that the mating will produce hybrids. Or if it does, the less likely it is that they will be healthy or long-lived. And if they do, the less likely it is that they will be fertile. Many animals that are willing to hybridize in captivity do not do so in the wild.

Redfoots have been known to hybridize with the closely related yellowfoot in captivity, and perhaps in the wild as well. I don't know if the resulting offspring are fertile or not. No sulcata hybrids have been found in the wild, although in captivity they have been hybridized with leopard tortoises, which are not particularly closely related to them. I don't know if sulcata x leopard tortoise hybrids are fertile, but I doubt it.

If your redfoot is trying to mate with one of your sulcatas, then it is because he does not have access to any females of his own species, and his sex drive is strong enough to drive him to mate outside not only his own species, but even outside his own genus. With redfoots being native to South America, and sulcatas being native to Africa's Sahel, these two types of tortoises are very distantly related. Although they are both in the same family (Testudinidae), they have been separated for many millions of years and have different courtship signals and genetics. If they do breed, perhaps no fertilization will take place. If it does, the hybrid embryos might not even survive long enough to hatch from their eggs. If they do, they could have health problems or a shortened lifespan, and at the very least are almost sure to be sterile.

Allowing captive animals to hybridize is not even advisable. Even if these interspecific, even intergeneric hybrids are healthy and can reproduce, they would have no conservation value. If you think of keeping exotic pets as a kind of Noah's Ark, allowing distantly related species to hybridize with each other defeats that purpose. Keeping different tortoise species together raises the risk of disease transmission anyway. If you observed this mounting behavior, you now have yet another reason to house your redfoot and sulcatas separately.

Well said!