Breeding

[Dharam]

A female star tortoise is 8 year old 1200gms in weight and 8.25 inches long and active...
Is she ready to breed and can I introduce a male for her..?
She lives with another female who is 7 years old 825 gms and 6 inches long not very active and eats much less...
Do give advice for both this girls and thankyou in advance..

 

[Tom]

In a large enclosure, it should be fine to introduce a properly vetted and quarantined male.

The smaller of your two is probably behaving that way because they should not be housed in pairs.

Here is how I house them. The title says sulcata and leopard, but care for stars is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[zovick]

The larger female is both old enough and large enough to produce fertile eggs if you can find a good male. I have successfully bred three year old males with five year old females in the past.

 

[Dharam]

In a large enclosure, it should be fine to introduce a properly vetted and quarantined male.

The smaller of your two is probably behaving that way because they should not be housed in pairs.

Here is how I house them. The title says sulcata and leopard, but care for stars is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

The larger female is both old enough and large enough to produce fertile eggs if you can find a good male. I have successfully bred three year old males with five year old females in the past.

In a large enclosure, it should be fine to introduce a properly vetted and quarantined male.

The smaller of your two is probably behaving that way because they should not be housed in pairs.

Here is how I house them. The title says sulcata and leopard, but care for stars is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

What do you think is the best time for keeping them together..?
Monsoon is about to start in one weeks time..
The male is 4 year old and another male is 35 years old...
Plus at what time would she lay eggs after mating because if she breeds now she might lays egg in monsoon or winter which might be bad as we dont have incubator..

 

[zovick]

What do you think is the best time for keeping them together..?
Monsoon is about to start in one weeks time..
The male is 4 year old and another male is 35 years old...
Plus at what time would she lay eggs after mating because if she breeds now she might lays egg in monsoon or winter which might be bad as we dont have incubator..

The female would most likely lay her first clutch of eggs 5-7 weeks after successful breeding. You could try introducing the male(s) to her about a month before the end of monsoon season or right at the end of it. That way her eggs should be safe without using an incubator.

 

[Dharam]

The female would most likely lay her first clutch of eggs 5-7 weeks after successful breeding. You could try introducing the male(s) to her about a month before the end of monsoon season or right at the end of it. That way her eggs should be safe without using an incubator.

What if she lays eggs in winter as winter lasts for about four to five months over here...
Are than any ways to make an incubator at home or any makeshift incubator..?
In wild also they do breed in monsoon than how do their eggs get incubated in wild in winter...
Plus would that four year old almost five inches long male be good for her as the other one is 35 years old and is much bigger than my female...?

 

[zovick]

What if she lays eggs in winter as winter lasts for about four to five months over here...
Are than any ways to make an incubator at home or any makeshift incubator..?
In wild also they do breed in monsoon than how do their eggs get incubated in wild in winter...
Plus would that four year old almost five inches long male be good for her as the other one is 35 years old and is much bigger than my female...?

Sorry, I cannot tell you how to build an incubator. I do know some people have used Styrofoam coolers with a light bulb inside to give off heat. You would have to experiment with different watt bulbs to get one that keeps the temp in the high 80's.

What type of Star Tortoises do you have? I don't know when they breed in the wild. I would assume it is in spring and into early summer.

If you are worried about the outside temps being too cold for the eggs, just don't breed the tortoises until spring comes your country. Where do you live, by the way?

The older male is possibly too big to use with a 6" female, but you didn't say how big he actually is. How big is he?

 

[Dharam]

Would they breed in spring...?
In our Indian subcontinent we have three seasons so end of winter acts as spring..
Till I know they breed in monsoon and thts what wikipedia says so I am comfused about it...
I have female Indian star tortoise and talking about the male he is almost 11 inches long.

The other male is his son...

And btw thanx for your advise...

 

[zovick]

Would they breed in spring...?
In our Indian subcontinent we have three seasons so end of winter acts as spring..
Till I know they breed in monsoon and thts what wikipedia says so I am comfused about it...
I have female Indian star tortoise and talking about the male he is almost 11 inches long.

The other male is his son...

And btw thanx for your advise...

You are welcome.

I would try to breed them at the end of the monsoon season, however depending upon what type of Star you have.

Your Stars are Indian Stars? I have never heard of an Indian Star male reaching 11" or even 9" for that matter. I used to import full grown wild caught Indian Stars direct from India back in the 1960's and the very oldest appearing males were around 7" to 8" at the largest.

Is it possible you have a male Burmese Star?

Or are your Stars possibly Sri Lankan Stars? Those would get larger than the Indian race also.

Another question: how do you know their ages if you did not hatch them?

Can you post pictures of them?

 

[Dharam]

You are welcome.

I would try to breed them at the end of the monsoon season, however depending upon what type of Star you have.

Your Stars are Indian Stars? I have never heard of an Indian Star male reaching 11" or even 9" for that matter. I used to import full grown wild caught Indian Stars direct from India back in the 1960's and the very oldest appearing males were around 7" to 8" at the largest.

Is it possible you have a male Burmese Star?

Or are your Stars possibly Sri Lankan Stars? Those would get larger than the Indian race also.

Another question: how do you know their ages if you did not hatch them?

Can you post pictures of them?

Well my female stars are from India only, they hatched at my friends house who gave them to me around 7-8 years back as small torts...

Males are of another person so I am not sure about their origin but they got them from India only thats for sure

I am sure they are not burmese stars..

I will do a bit more research and find the right male because after reading your reply I think the males of my friend are either sri lankan or north indian variety which grow larger than southern variety...

Tysm for giving me such info and would surely share pics of babies if I get them...Here is my female...

Also is this much pyramiding normal...?

 

[Dharam]

In a large enclosure, it should be fine to introduce a properly vetted and quarantined male.

The smaller of your two is probably behaving that way because they should not be housed in pairs.

Here is how I house them. The title says sulcata and leopard, but care for stars is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Thankyou so much for your advice and yess this threads are awesome...
Can you please post some pictures of your tortoises I wanna see them and also of their enclosure..
Both of your threads are very awesome, just read them and they are very helpfull..
Please do post some pictures..