update...after the flood.

[emysbreeder]

Well today the last of my female phayrei layed her eggs. She is captive born herself and it was her first viable clutch. Phayrei need to weigh 40 lbs to lay viable eggs. Her first try was two years ago and they were very small and pinkish in color. She scattered them around after a failed attempt to build a nest. I dont know what happened last year as there was no nesting at all. This year she struggled at building a nest but kept at it for weeks just to have it washed away in the flood. When she started over it started raining again every afternoon. there was no flood this time but everything was mud. I gave her some semi-dry leaves and she started building. (I add dry leaves near their nesting sight quite often now and it helps keep the nest "fluffy" if they get to much dirt pilled up.) I put a plastic patio table over the nest sight and covered it with a tarp leaving one side open a little. She loved this and findly had a fairly big nest under the table and it was drying out nice with the hot weather. this morning when she was off the nest we checked and 40 eggs were retrieved in very good condishion. She is my 2nd captive born phayrei to lay and I hope hatch out. The smaller eggs were no suprise as i have learned from my first CB egg layer that 2nd. generation eggs and babies are smaller than older/heaver wild cought adults are. 32-36 grams compaired to 45-50 grams or Big Mama's huge 68 gram superchamp sized eggs. She was an adult 25 years ago when I got her! This is something we..er....you..er the next younger generation of Manouria keepers are going to have to deal with, because captive born emys are all you will have to work with. Their first clutches will be smaller and LESS FIT than their wild parents were. I hope to let you know how long it takes them to be equeal to the wild adults of the 80's early 90's but I'm only into 2nd gen. for five years coming up this year. They get a little more fit each year, so its looking like they may not be in their prime breeding age until 45+ years! I'll check in again with another story with another female in the 2013 flood durring nest building or "the Summer of the wet nightmare" Vic emysbreeder

 

[Yvonne G]

Interesting about the table. Both of my girls have used the same nest now for about 5 years. And it is in a sort of lean-to - walls on three sides with a roof.

The Mee hasn't nested in over 7 years, but last time she did, it was inside her house.

Have you any knowledge of how they nest in the wild? I mean - do they nest inside something?

 

[tortadise]

Vwry interested indeed. Mine too will only nest under their hide. Smart little buggers.

 

[emysbreeder]

Interesting about the table. Both of my girls have used the same nest now for about 5 years. And it is in a sort of lean-to - walls on three sides with a roof.

The Mee hasn't nested in over 7 years, but last time she did, it was inside her house.

Have you any knowledge of how they nest in the wild? I mean - do they nest inside something?

..........I have seen a picture were an emys emys built a nest up under a group of palm leaves and fallen branches that formed a roof. Mine first nested inside their hut (fiberglass truck topper. The best tortoise hut ever built and it wont rot.) It was very heavy but I could see if lift up as her carapace hit the top. Later when I exspanded their enclosure size I realised that it was because it was the only dry place in their environmant as the sprinkler hit everything. (a perferrated hose tosed up in a tree) She then started building in a place that was out of reach of the advanced percipatation management system I worked so hard to build! If given a lot of space they will pick a man made 90 degree corner with a slite elavation and the last rays of Sun from a western exposure. The newbe CB female was the only time I've seen them "not" use a 90 D. Long hot rainy Summer with a abrupt change of Season to a short Dryish Winter. Vic emysbreeder

 

[algoroth1]

Glad to hear she is laying well. BTW,The 2ND generation captive bred baby emys emys I got from you last summer will be 1 year old this week. He was 33 grams at 20 days and is now 170 grams and looks great! I will try to get you some photos soon. I think he was from your first emys emys 2ND gen captive bred clutch. All the best,
Ron

 

[emysbreeder]

Glad to hear she is laying well. BTW,The 2ND generation captive bred baby emys emys I got from you last summer will be 1 year old this week. He was 33 grams at 20 days and is now 170 grams and looks great! I will try to get you some photos soon. I think he was from your first emys emys 2ND gen captive bred clutch. All the best,
Ron

......Incredable growth, would love to see the pics and here about the diet. Vic ps just got a clutch of emys from a CB, same female of yours.

 

[algoroth1]

Glad to hear she is laying well. BTW,The 2ND generation captive bred baby emys emys I got from you last summer will be 1 year old this week. He was 33 grams at 20 days and is now 170 grams and looks great! I will try to get you some photos soon. I think he was from your first emys emys 2ND gen captive bred clutch. All the best,
Ron

......Incredable growth, would love to see the pics and here about the diet. Vic ps just got a clutch of emys from a CB, same female of yours.

Meant to ask-- when the new ones hatch from that clutch, would be interesting to see if they are bigger/heavier than last year's from the same CB female. If you think of it, please let us know.
Ron