My 2014 South African Leos

[MichaelS]

Do you have updated pics of tridot's tail? the plastron shot you posted a while ago looks very much like one of mine who is about the same size.
i have three leos and i'm very much hoping for a good sex ratio.

I've been meaning to get some updated pics of my SA group. I'll try to get some up soon.

My 'large' blonde babcocki (Whitey) is a female. She is 2 years old this month @ about 7 1/2 inches (19cm) SCL and 1250 grams. She was 'showing' female very early when she was about 250 grams. He is a pic of her tale/anal scutes from August 2015 when she was 445 grams and just over 5 inches (13cm) SCL. She still looks like that today... same shape for the anal scutes and her tale is very short and stubby.

 

[MichaelS]

They are all awesome. Fun to see them progress, grow. And whoa, surprise on Tri-Dot not being a Tri-Dottie. The fast growers do seem to end up being male most times. While I love them all - you so lucky - I am partial to lil Ms. BB. Little and feisty Ms. BB, yes?

Thanks for the complements.

And yet little Ms. BB is a hoot. She is the oldest of the group and has a sass about her - at least I think she is a 'her' so far. She is one of my favorites.

 

[MichaelS]

TriDot has been in the springtime 'love is in the air' mood this past week. He started mounting others when he was in the communal outdoor pen but yet leaves everyone alone when they are all together in the night time indoor closed chamber. Any one else with a Leo group see this behavior with their males?

Also I have not seen him engage in any biting or ramming of any of the others. He seems to just sneak up behind another tort and then mount them. I guess he is more of a smooth operator

I have him separated now when they are all outside and I'm keeping a close eye on him when they are together indoors a night.

 

[J.P.]

Thanks MichaelS! My two largest are 7.5 and 8 inches, both still have small tails but i'm hoping the 7.5 inch will develop due to it's subcaudal scutes starting to show a hint of flariness. the 8 incher is almost surely a female due to it's tail being smaller than the 7.5 inch

 

[MichaelS]

Here are some recent photos of the SAs. Sorry about the poor quality of the pics...they were all extra squirmy for this photo shoot.

TriDot - Confirmed male





Clover




Mancha




Tiny II

 

[diamondbp]

Clover is starting to look male to me as well.
Mancha and Tiny are looking very female. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with a 2:2 . My females grew slower than my males until they hit 8" then they really kicked the growth in gear.

They are just beautiful Michael. Keep doing what you are doing

 

[MichaelS]

Clover is starting to look male to me as well.
Mancha and Tiny are looking very female. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with a 2:2.

Yeah it's starting to look that way to me too. I have my fingers crossed that I get two femals from this group.

 

[diamondbp]

Yeah it's starting to look that way to me too. I have my fingers crossed that I get two femals from this group.

Just curious if you are able to sex this entire group yet?

 

[Slow and steady]

Just curious if you are able to sex this entire group yet?

Yeah, what's the latest? I just found this thread today, and it's fantastic. You raised up some gorgeous torts there, I'd love to see them now. Clover has to have turned out male with that big tail. I know you were hoping Tiny II was a female, how'd she turn out? Anal scutes were very turned out as of 4/16. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[MichaelS]

I was able to sex 3 for sure:

TriDot (a.k.a. Rosie): male
Clover: male (sold)
Mancha; male (sold)
Tiny II: 90% female still slow growing, small tail, hold it down most of the time, flat plastron - I'll try to get some photos (better quality) up soon.

Here are their 'sales' pics taken on April 12 2017:

Clover:







Mancha:

 

[diamondbp]

I was able to sex 3 for sure:

TriDot (a.k.a. Rosie): male
Clover: male (sold)
Mancha; male (sold)
Tiny II: 90% female still slow growing, small tail, hold it down most of the time, flat plastron - I'll try to get some photos (better quality) up soon.

Here are their 'sales' pics taken on April 12 2017:

Clover:
View attachment 223910

View attachment 223910 View attachment 223911

View attachment 223912


Mancha:

View attachment 223913


View attachment 223914

View attachment 223915

Impressive. Each of them were stunning. I'm sure parting with them wasn't easy. I look forward to seeing your potential female.

 

[MichaelS]

Here are recent photos of my little girl (hopefully) Tiny II (a.k.a. TiTi)

 

[diamondbp]

@MichaelS Beautiful. That one could definitely still go either way. Let's keep the fingers crossed it pans out female. Another 1-2" of growth "should" be enough to tell

 

[Alaskamike]

Love your updates. Great growth

 

[Tom]

Still got some growing to do, but TiTi is looking male to me. I had the same experience with my first batch. Whatever it is that makes choose the ones to keep, seems to be male characteristics. The next batch I raise, I'm keeping all of them until I know the sexes for sure.

I never saw an answer to your Tri-Dot question about the male behavior and mounting: Yes. All my males were like that. I had to separate out all the males shortly after a year, and then I had to separate all the males from each other a few months after that.

This has been a great thread!

 

[diamondbp]

Still got some growing to do, but TiTi is looking male to me. I had the same experience with my first batch. Whatever it is that makes choose the ones to keep, seems to be male characteristics. The next batch I raise, I'm keeping all of them until I know the sexes for sure.

I never saw an answer to your Tri-Dot question about the male behavior and mounting: Yes. All my males were like that. I had to separate out all the males shortly after a year, and then I had to separate all the males from each other a few months after that.

This has been a great thread!

I didn’t want to say it but I would lean towards young male as well. Hopefully we are wrong. The PP females are a rarity apparently.

 

[Slow and steady]

Well, if it turns out male, this one will have broken the pattern of PP males being the "super growers" in their first few years. Either way, you sure do grow a smooth, healthy tortoise.

 

[MichaelS]

Still got some growing to do, but TiTi is looking male to me.

Shhh @Tom and @diamondbp don't jinks it for me.

 

[MichaelS]

Well, if it turns out male, this one will have broken the pattern of PP males being the "super growers" in their first few years.

Yes for sure and that would suck Here is TiTi and Rosie. They hatched the same month (August 2014) and have been exposed to the same husbandry since then but have not lived in the same enclosure for about 2 years due to size disparities.

 

[Erik Elvis]

Wow what a size difference.