when do Hermanns become sexually mature?

[Tracy Gould]

Hi I have a little tort coming up 2 in October. I know she as a long way to go before she is adult but wondered when is she classed as Juvi and then Adult, Also if she is a female do they still lay eggs if kept on their own I know birds do as my family lost a female who became egg bound when i was litte, If torts can do the same thing i would rather know in advance so i can what her for signs she is wants to lay and be prepared. sorry for all the Questions i am just trying to collect as much info as possible so i can give her the best care possible

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Ok i found the info i really should look before posting lol. I found out it depends on if the are grown to fast, and if grown correctly it around 15 the same as us. I aslo found out she could still lay eggs even if she as not mated and they can become egg bound. But i have not found out if this is a common problem or if it is only likely if she as sensed a male. I really hope she is not going to keep laying infertile eggs I know there is always a risk she could get problems.

 

[GBtortoises]

I'm not sure where the number 15 (years) came from in the information that you found beacause Hermann's tortoises become sexually mature far before that! The actual point of sexual maturity is determined by size and age. A captive born female that grows at a normal rate may become mature at 5" or larger and as young as 7 years old. A captive born male that grows at a normal rate may become mature at 4" and as young a 3 years old. However there are many cases of sexual maturity being reached at younger ages and in the case of females, smaller sizes. There are also cases, although to a lesser extent, of females and males reaching sexual maturity in captivity at a much larger size and older. Generally speaking, they tend to grow at faster rate and mature sooner in captivity compared to their wild counterparts probably due to less harsh living conditions and richer quality foods.

Yes, it is true that your female could become eggbound. This can happen whether fertility is present or not. But really is not that common of an occurance. A tortoise becoming egg bound has more to do with it's external environment (lack of ideal nesting conditions) and much less, if anything to do with the eggs not being fertilized.

 

[Tracy Gould]

I'm not sure where the number 15 (years) came from in the information that you found beacause Hermann's tortoises become sexually mature far before that! The actual point of sexual maturity is determined by size and age. A captive born female that grows at a normal rate may become mature at 5" or larger and as young as 7 years old. A captive born male that grows at a normal rate may become mature at 4" and as young a 3 years old. However there are many cases of sexual maturity being reached at younger ages and in the case of females, smaller sizes. There are also cases, although to a lesser extent, of females and males reaching sexual maturity in captivity at a much larger size and older. Generally speaking, they tend to grow at faster rate and mature sooner in captivity compared to their wild counterparts probably due to less harsh living conditions and richer quality foods.

Yes, it is true that your female could become eggbound. This can happen whether fertility is present or not. But really is not that common of an occurance. A tortoise becoming egg bound has more to do with it's external environment (lack of ideal nesting conditions) and much less, if anything to do with the eggs not being fertilized.

Hi thanks for the info i got the 15 years from a goggle search they must have been refering to a different species. I am not even hundred percent sure Shelby is defo female as she is still so young, I am starting to collect info on nesting spots before she gets to maturity. I now they like to dig in a hilly area at the moment she is in a table i made from 2 tubs with a length of 31 inches i know she will soon need more space and i am planing on adding a extra tub as she grow which i will make a hilly digging area

 

[GBtortoises]

Some tortoises prefer a sloped nesting site mainly because of the angle of the sun's exposure to that sloped area. More often that not, most of my female Eastern Hermann's and other species actually prefer to nest in an area that is more flat or barely sloped but is protected by a small shrub or grass hussock. Indoors is a different situation than outdoors, generally they don't have as many nesting areas to choose from so it's important to provide what they need in one spot.

 

[Tracy Gould]

Some tortoises prefer a sloped nesting site mainly because of the angle of the sun's exposure to that sloped area. More often that not, most of my female Eastern Hermann's and other species actually prefer to nest in an area that is more flat or barely sloped but is protected by a small shrub or grass hussock. Indoors is a different situation than outdoors, generally they don't have as many nesting areas to choose from so it's important to provide what they need in one spot.

ok thanks i have a while before i need to start worrying about nesting hopefully i will know she is female for sure before she starts wanting to nest.