(Question) Incubating exotic tortoise eggs in the ground

[t_mclellan]

Here is a question I have been thinking about for some time now & am going to figure it out in the next few years. I hope!
Has anyone on the U.S.A. "DELIBERATLY" incubated non-native tortoise eggs in the ground?
I'm interested in info about any exotics.
I keep a few Redfoots at my home & have an investment in a variety of breeding groups of animals (not all tortoises) in other locations.
Over the years there have been numerous young animals just turn up in these groups. My associates & I have found Redfoots, Yellowfoots, Leopards, Greeks, Sulcata & several Cyclura, Happily wandering the pens on occasion.
The young tortoises were all well started when they were found. In my adult Redfoot pen I have various fruiting / flowering trees & shrubs, Hid boxes, a large much pile (misc. organic crapola) that measures about 8' in dia. & 2' to 3' high depending on what has been added & the ever popular "Nesting Area" that they use about 50% of the time. I'm certain the young tortoises that hatch in the pen use the mulch pile until I find them.
But I digress! My question is;
Have any of you seen eggs being laid, Blocked off the site, & recorded any temp. / hum. & duration if incubation info.?
I plan to do this when my Redfoots start laying again in the spring. I will try 1 nest in the spring & 1 in the fall. Just to see how many (if any) from each clutch hatch.
Isn't it funny how I can make a 2 line question into a 20 line dissertation?!

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm in California where the only native chelonia are Gopherus agassizii and Actinemys marmorata.

I have tried to leave Manouria eggs in the nest - not a good idea. I have left box turtle eggs in the ground and I once left a clutch of leopard eggs in the ground.

The Manouria eggs turned black, moldy and rotted. The box turtle and leopard eggs were eaten by red ants or skunks. However, I occasionally DO find some baby 3-toe box turtles that the ants and skunks missed during incubation.

 

[t_mclellan]

I know what you mean.
I don't know of anyone that gets many eggs hatching in there pens.
If I had to put numbers on the ones I know of, It would be somewhere around 15 or so over the years that hatched from unnoticed nests.
2 years ago a friend found 2 hatchling Cyclura in his breeder pen (most likely just missed the eggs when he emptied the nest). I think they would have a better chance at incubating in the ground than most tortoises.
The Redfoots & Sulcata seem to show up more than any others I have heard about.

 

[elegans]

I have found redfoots, yellowfoots, SriLankan stars, hermanns and elongates that were missed nests. I think that I am too wet for the sulcattas as I am sure that I have missed at least a nest or two and never found a baby? Best wishes Douglas

 

[dmmj]

we actuslly had a lady at my turtle club that had a boxie escape and lay eggs in her sulc pen where she has a big pile of compost, she said that they emerged from the compost how ever much later they take to incubate because she saw all the little holes in the compost where they tunnelled out.