Manouria emys emys

[Yvonne G]

As I've already told you in a previous thread, my three Mep females all nested in the same nest last year.

This year, I'm tearing down the cinderblock Manouria houses, and building an insulated shed to be shared by the two types of Manouria with a separating fence between them. So because of my construction project, I tore down the fence separating the two types of tortoise to make it easier for me, and all the tortoises are together.

A few days ago, Maggie (my female Mee came to me with the name Magumba, but I don't like it, so I re-named her Maggie) has decided that she is also going to use that same nest. She's been scraping and building for about a week. I THINK she laid eggs last night, but she's still working on the nest, so I'm not going to disturb her yet.

I put the rake next to the nest for a size comparison:

That's Maggie in the picture. She's still scraping stuff up onto the pile.
Because they've all been together I'm not sure who the father is. If they lay eggs that were fertilized last year, then the father has to be my male Mee, but if the fertilization can take place the same year then who knows?

Yvonne

 

[Isa]

Wow, that is a lot of renovations you are doing I am sure it is going to be beautiful!
It is so exciting for Maggie good luck and please keep us updated

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think it's creepy to have tortoises and dogs using MY name!!! Good luck, I'm hoping there's fertile eggs in there

 

[Nay]

Yvonne,
Have you ever listed exactly how many torts you have???
I keep seeing posts and sometimes aren't sure if I seeing more than one Yvonne!But it seems I keep seeing more and more Torts.
Manouria, I never heard of them...
Na

 

[Yvonne G]

There IS another Yvonne on the forum...I can't think of her username right off.

I have 0.2.1 leopards, 1.3 Manouria emys phayrei (Asian blacks), 1.1 Manouria emys emys (Asian Browns), 6.0 intergrade Mee/Mep, 2.1.3 yellowfoot, 1.1 Aldabran, 2.5 Russian, 2.4 Gopherus agassizii, 1.0 Sulcata, 1.4.2 Eastern Box, 1.0 Gulf Coast box, 0.0.2 western box, 2.0.2 Florida box, appx. 10.15.3 3-toed box and many, many water turtles!!

Key=1.0 means 1 male
0.1 means 1 female
0.0.1 means 1 that's too young yet to sex

Yvonne

 

[Nay]

WOW, OK so you have alot of torts!!! You have a big electric bill(in the winter eh?) And I'll be willing to bet you have other animals as well?!! Too bad we can't get hobbies that pay, right.
Na

 

[Yvonne G]

2 horses...5 cats...2 dogs...

 

[Isa]

Woow Yvonne, I am so jealous, You have a huge reptile and a huge animal family. Amazing

 

[Crazy1]

Yvonne are you sure that is a nest she has built it kinda looks like an escape ramp in the making to me. LOL

Looks like Maggie didn't like you going around her nest either. Funny how they guard their nests and most torts just lay, cover and leave. Fingers crossed for a fruitful year both with the eggs and your construction. Thanks for sharing your great pics with us.

 

[Yvonne G]

I did have to board up the opposite end of that little house-like thing that the nest is inside of. She went out the space and I found her hanging in space by a toe nail one day. It must have just happened before I got there because there was no damage to her leg. There was no danger of escape because the structure is all inside the pen.

I'm pretty sure she laid eggs last night. She was covering the nest most of the day today and now she's laying on top of it with all four legs spread out and in guard mode. I won't be able to excavate for another day or two.

Yvonne

 

[Crazy1]

Yvonne I can't wait to see how many you get and my fingers are crossed they are fertile.

 

[twtraudio]

As I've already told you in a previous thread, my three Mep females all nested in the same nest last year.

This year, I'm tearing down the cinderblock Manouria houses, and building an insulated shed to be shared by the two types of Manouria with a separating fence between them. So because of my construction project, I tore down the fence separating the two types of tortoise to make it easier for me, and all the tortoises are together.

A few days ago, Maggie (my female Mee came to me with the name Magumba, but I don't like it, so I re-named her Maggie) has decided that she is also going to use that same nest. She's been scraping and building for about a week. I THINK she laid eggs last night, but she's still working on the nest, so I'm not going to disturb her yet.

I put the rake next to the nest for a size comparison:

That's Maggie in the picture. She's still scraping stuff up onto the pile.
Because they've all been together I'm not sure who the father is. If they lay eggs that were fertilized last year, then the father has to be my male Mee, but if the fertilization can take place the same year then who knows?

Yvonne

How old is Maggie ?

 

[Yvonne G]

She came to me as a long term captive, but wild caught, so I don't know her age. But she's full grown. I've had her for about 13 years and she was full grown when I got her. She came to me from Pittsburg, PA. The lady that owned her was in the process of moving to the country in the mountains and the weather was not going to be good for the tortoise so she found her a new home. Because she's obviously old (the smoothness of her carapace) and only about 25lbs, I've always assumed that the Mee doesn't get as big as the Mep. But I've since seen some pretty large Mees, so maybe I'm wrong about that. She's the mother of my 6 intergrade males.

Yvonne

 

[Yvonne G]

I never did come back and give you an update on this thread. Maggie never laid any eggs in that nest.