KhairulTort
Member
I’ve always been curious about how selective pressures work in breeding tortoises. If you are a tortoise breeder or other interested party, can you tell us what kind of selective behaviours or preferences you see between your tortoises when you allow them to mate.
From what I’ve read it doesn’t seem like they’re too picky and the boys just harass any female available to them until they get what they want *yikes*
But have you ever noticed them being particularly more interested in a prettier tortoise? Or perhaps the girls being more forthcoming to a male with particularly large gular projections ??
Essentially, what makes for a sexy tortoise, what do tortoises look for in eachother, and what do breeders look for in the tortoises they want to breed.
Side note: I feel like it should be the goal of animal husbandry (except in conservation) to breed animals better suited to captive environments.
Say a more outgoing tortoise which doesn’t stress easily, or a tortoise that’s more adaptable and thrives with lower artificial temperature requirements. Does anyone breed for behavioural traits?
From what I’ve read it doesn’t seem like they’re too picky and the boys just harass any female available to them until they get what they want *yikes*
But have you ever noticed them being particularly more interested in a prettier tortoise? Or perhaps the girls being more forthcoming to a male with particularly large gular projections ??
Essentially, what makes for a sexy tortoise, what do tortoises look for in eachother, and what do breeders look for in the tortoises they want to breed.
Side note: I feel like it should be the goal of animal husbandry (except in conservation) to breed animals better suited to captive environments.
Say a more outgoing tortoise which doesn’t stress easily, or a tortoise that’s more adaptable and thrives with lower artificial temperature requirements. Does anyone breed for behavioural traits?