The family may be growing, What next?

[FGCinHB]

Walked out side yesterday and this is what I came across



I live in Southern California and these two live outside year round. Both of them are 5 years old and as far as I know this is the first time they've mated. They've been going at it all day today. My question is if the female lays eggs what do I do, leave them outside or bring them inside? Any advice would be appreciated .

 

[Crazy1]

I don't have Russians but I have Greeks and I have done it both ways. I think the success rate of incubating them inside may be better then out but who knows for sure. At this point I would say its your call, that is if you even find her nest. Leaving them out is sure much easier.

 

[Yvonne G]

LOL!! I read the subject line, and a human baby flashed into my mind. When I opened the thread and saw the little guy's mouth hangin' open I had to laugh out loud!!

Here in the Calif. Central Valley, we have very bad infestations of red ants. I think they are wall-to-wall under the whole of the valley, and only coming up every so often in little mounds. THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!

So I can't leave my eggs in the ground, I have to incubate them. If you don't have a red ant problem and you don't care what sex the babies are, then leave them in the ground and tap a circle of hardware cloth around the nest down into the ground to contain the babies when they hatch.

If you want to be sure the eggs are protected and temp sex the babies, then buy a Lil' Giant bird brooder, set the temp to whatever temp makes the sex you're trying for and place the eggs in the incubator on moistened perlite or vermiculite. (Get the still air model, not the one that turns the eggs automatically)

It might be a little late in the year for her to nest now. She just might hold the sperm until next spring after hibernation. (However, Dan just posted a couple days ago that the "cold war" was overwith in his Russian habitat and he had a female digging a nest)

Yvonne

 

[Tonka-Tamer]

Bowchicka--ahem

The ant problem (or gophers, any sort of animal) would be enough to spook me into incubation.

 

[FGCinHB]

How long might it be before she goes to nest?

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi,
She could lay anywhere from 30 to 60 days after breeding. I have heard of people getting eggs from Russians in August and September.

Danny

 

[sushisurf13]

Waiting for babies!! How cool.
I live in HB as well, we should meet up sometime