at what age will a female lay eggs?

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Rover15

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I have done research and I'm mainly looking at sliders (yellow bellied) I have read that they can lay eggs with out a male and that 5 years is and 6-7" is when you should start breeding them, but my question what is the youngest age/size a female will lay eggs with or with out a male? At what point should I put me female in a nesting area or better yet at what time should I add a nesting area to the setup?

I don't want to run into eggs in the water nor an egg bound female so any and all information about females laying eggs would be great
 

Gerards

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I start getting eggs when my females are 2.5 years old and 10-12" in size. If you have a adult female, she should already have a area of land she can get on and bask. I have raised several females without males and never had any problems. Good luck!
 

Rover15

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I have a female that is about 5" I would assume she is only a year, and I know that ideally 10-12" is best for breeding but wasn't sure if they could lay eggs before, but thank you
 

Anthony P

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Ovipositon in female Pond Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta, elegans and troostii) can take place as early as 6.2 inches according to Ernst and Lovich, if my memory serves me right. Remember that maturity in turtles is much more dependent on size than anything else, not age.I was just reading up on this, as my female Caramel RES is right there. Obviously breeding becomes more successful and common as the females grow larger.

10-12 inches is huge in 2.5 years G! Have you ever seen any problems a consisted with rapid growth? I'm sure you haven't if you are still growing them that fast. Another perk of not having much of a winter down there in the Miami sunshine.
 

Rover15

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Thank you my girl is still far from that at 5" but it is good to know what to expect, do either of you haave pictures of your nesting area's? In tank, pond land area? Anything for idea's
 

Gerards

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The bigger the better
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Anthony, I have noticed nothing but strong 8 clutch a year females from the way I'm raising them. Like you said, they're always in a really warm eviorment and fed Mazuri, only. They have perfect smooth shells and havent had one of the 160 female RES have a single health anything. I should say that is with RES, my Map females have taken 5 years and the males bred at 18 months. My subglobosa take 4 years to raise to breeding size. The ferox females are 15" after two years, they're going outside this spring to see what happens. I keep trying to call you, hit me up when you're not so busy. Talk to you later, bud.
 

Rover15

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What is a good mixture for the nesting site? Right now I've taken in a 10" RES where the owner assumes she is gravid because her activity level has changed they allowed her to roam there house from time to time and felt she was trying to "dig" at the floor, right now I put her in a tank filled with 6-7" of coco fiber only, there is an under the tank heater. And a basking light on the opposite side. I'm thinking of adding sand, to it I used coco fiber has I had a large brick of it. She doesn't eat much but she is trying to constandly get out of the tank. She is housed right now in a 150 gallon tank with 3 4-5" turtles 2 male RES, and one female yellow belly.

I had to do this to seaperate my adult male Yellow Belly because he bites everyone and is about 6"

I'm working on getting an other 100 gallon tank.

My basking spot fits all 4 turtles and they have all been seen on it at one time with no competition. (I use a piece of cor bark wedged between the glass in the middle of the tank)

I have tried to feel for the eggs (seen a youtube video) and don't think I felt anything but I was very gental.
 
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