Large Male EBT

Angel Carrion · Aug 18, 2015

Eggs generally happen June-August I believe. But eggs can honestly happen anytime. Especially if you don't hibernate.
A female turtle can store sperm from one mating for up to five years. She can produce eggs with this store of sperm each of those years, or multiple times for 3-4 years. Or she can mate and never produce fertile eggs, or eggs at all. I don't know why, but I think it could be related to available resources, or lack of resources (proper food, calcium, nesting sites, proper temps, proper humidity, etc).

Vynindis · Aug 18, 2015

Wow, thanks Angel!

As beautiful as they both are, the info you're giving me and the additional stuff I'm reading makes me too afraid to breed them.

I've done some blind spots for them and what I did today was feed them at different times. I was feeding them at the same time (not together) and sometimes he'd see her and decide he wanted to mount her. This morning I fed them one after the other and had no problems. He saw her but he didn't move while she was eating.

Like I said, they're never alone so that's kind of cool. Someone always has an eye on them so he doesn't get a chance to corner her or anything like that. I just gently move him back near his box. He nipped at me once but it didn't even break the skin so I don't think it was a serious bite.

I'm going to work on totes tonight. I'll show you guys what I've come up with when it's finished.

EDIT: I'm not sure whether to hibernate them or not. That seems almost dangerous but I've also heard it's stressful for wild turtles because they're used to hibernating. I wish I had a better idea on their age. I counted the lines on the females scutes, got to 31 but I know they stop growing and those rings stop. For him, he has around 25-28 (the wife and I got different numbers) so I think they're both full grown adults. That would mean they've hibernated every year for... well... forever so I figure it's best to keep them doing what they do. I just don't want to lose them during hibernation.

Eric Phillips · Aug 18, 2015

Well, I do agree you should give them up! I don't feel your quite ready my young Luke Skywalker, so I must obtain those two until then

lol! On a serious note, my neighbor had an old book shelf(probably 4' x 6' 12inches deep) on curb alert for garbage. I thought, man I could use that for another compost for my red wiggler farm for my turtles and for my gardens. Yep, took out the shelves and converted to another compost pile. Neighbor thought it was junk, I thought it was a gold. I haven't bought worms in 4 years

for either the turtles or fishing

Vynindis · Aug 18, 2015

A Star Wars reference and a turtle lover... definitely a good dude Eric.

Angel Carrion · Aug 18, 2015

Vynindis said:
A Star Wars reference and a turtle lover... definitely a good dude Eric.

Agreed. I geeked for a bit before my inner fan girl calmed enough to type this, haha

Angel Carrion · Aug 18, 2015

Vynindis said:
Wow, thanks Angel!

As beautiful as they both are, the info you're giving me and the additional stuff I'm reading makes me too afraid to breed them.

I've done some blind spots for them and what I did today was feed them at different times. I was feeding them at the same time (not together) and sometimes he'd see her and decide he wanted to mount her. This morning I fed them one after the other and had no problems. He saw her but he didn't move while she was eating.

Like I said, they're never alone so that's kind of cool. Someone always has an eye on them so he doesn't get a chance to corner her or anything like that. I just gently move him back near his box. He nipped at me once but it didn't even break the skin so I don't think it was a serious bite.

I'm going to work on totes tonight. I'll show you guys what I've come up with when it's finished.

EDIT: I'm not sure whether to hibernate them or not. That seems almost dangerous but I've also heard it's stressful for wild turtles because they're used to hibernating. I wish I had a better idea on their age. I counted the lines on the females scutes, got to 31 but I know they stop growing and those rings stop. For him, he has around 25-28 (the wife and I got different numbers) so I think they're both full grown adults. That would mean they've hibernated every year for... well... forever so I figure it's best to keep them doing what they do. I just don't want to lose them during hibernation.

Counting the growth rings is not an accurate method of aging them, since they can grow numerous rings in just one year. It all depends on how much access they had to food and water how many rings they have/grow. For example, if I used the counting rings method, my one EBT would be over a hundred years old, haha! While he definitely appears to be an older adult (I usually guess between 20-40 years old) he's definitely not over 100 years old.

Vynindis · Aug 18, 2015

Angel Carrion said:
Counting the growth rings is not an accurate method of aging them, since they can grow numerous rings in just one year. It all depends on how much access they had to food and water how many rings they have/grow. For example, if I used the counting rings method, my one EBT would be over a hundred years old, haha! While he definitely appears to be an older adult (I usually guess between 20-40 years old) he's definitely not over 100 years old.

Thanks, I heard that somewhere about the rings. I only counted the bottom scute all the way up. If I counted them all the way up the middle, it'd be insane, haha...

I think they're both like yours, 20-40 year range. She's a bit small though so maybe she isn't. Then again, she's 4.5 inches which I know a full grown female can be. He's about 6-6.5 inches. On the larger size of EBTs so I'd imagine he's fully grown. I'd hope so, he's a damn monster!

Angel Carrion · Aug 18, 2015

Vynindis said:
Thanks, I heard that somewhere about the rings. I only counted the bottom scute all the way up. If I counted them all the way up the middle, it'd be insane, haha...

I think they're both like yours, 20-40 year range. She's a bit small though so maybe she isn't. Then again, she's 4.5 inches which I know a full grown female can be. He's about 6-6.5 inches. On the larger size of EBTs so I'd imagine he's fully grown. I'd hope so, he's a damn monster!

I believe they hit adult around ten years old since that's generally when they become sexually mature.

Angel Carrion · Aug 22, 2015

So how's it going?

johnsonnboswell · Aug 26, 2015

Another note on breeding: reunions inspire it. If they have been kept apart and then are reintroduced, it's breeding season.

Vynindis · Sep 3, 2015

The closer it gets to fall, the more I realize I just don't have the money to get what I need to hibernate them. I hate to give them up. I wish I had someone around here who could hibernate them. It's looking like I'm going to have to give them up for their own good.

SarahChelonoidis · Sep 3, 2015

Do you have the means to keep them warm through winter so they don't hibernate?

Eric Phillips · Sep 3, 2015

Vynindis said:
The closer it gets to fall, the more I realize I just don't have the money to get what I need to hibernate them. I hate to give them up. I wish I had someone around here who could hibernate them. It's looking like I'm going to have to give them up for their own good.

You really don't need a lot of money to accomplish whatever you want in life. If your passionate about your turtles then you will find avenues to keep them.

ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1441281975.508164.jpg

ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1441281990.844296.jpg

My neighbors house is for sale and they had this bin by the curb. It is perfect for so many things for me while to someone else it was curb alert. I could technically put this in my garage and hibernate my guys in it. However I will hibernate mine in a little fridge inside my home I have for them. Point is don't let fear take away your love for them. Just think it through and make it happen if you really want them. Doors open when we don't always see them. If not I bet there are a few on here that would love to give them a home

good luck.

Angel Carrion · Sep 3, 2015

Vynindis said:
The closer it gets to fall, the more I realize I just don't have the money to get what I need to hibernate them. I hate to give them up. I wish I had someone around here who could hibernate them. It's looking like I'm going to have to give them up for their own good.

It's actually recommended to not hibernate new turtles/torts until you are positive they are healthy and good weight etc and you know what they're 'normal' is. So not hibernating them this year is a-okay. You just need to keep them warm inside by creating summer-like conditions in their enclosure. Also, for overwintering, I strongly suggest separating them since inside will be smaller than outside.

Vynindis · Sep 6, 2015

It's gets about 60 degrees in here in the winter. I need a space heater and UV light.

Loohan · Sep 6, 2015

And run the lights 14 hours a day! I learned the hard way.

Angel Carrion · Sep 7, 2015

Loohan said:
And run the lights 14 hours a day! I learned the hard way.

Yes, 14 hours is recommended to try and simulate summer months.

Large Male EBT

Angel Carrion

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Vynindis

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Eric Phillips

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Vynindis

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Angel Carrion

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Angel Carrion

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Vynindis

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Angel Carrion

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Angel Carrion

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johnsonnboswell

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Vynindis

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SarahChelonoidis

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Eric Phillips

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Angel Carrion

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Vynindis

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Loohan

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Angel Carrion

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