Few Questions

[Tortoise]

Hello
I have a few Hinge Back questions (Bells)

When do they reach maturity-size/age?
Can they be sexed as hatchlings at all?
If 2 males are likely to fight, when would one expect that to occur-is there a likely age or size or not necessarily at all-does it need a female to start aggressive behavoiur?

When are they capable of successful breeding?

One odd question-could it be possible my Bells are scared of worms?

Thank you for taking the time to read this

Louise

 

[Tortoise]

Hello
I have a few Hinge Back questions (Bells)

When do they reach maturity-size/age?
Can they be sexed as hatchlings at all?
If 2 males are likely to fight, when would one expect that to occur-is there a likely age or size or not necessarily at all-does it need a female to start aggressive behavoiur?

When are they capable of successful breeding?

One odd question-could it be possible my Bells are scared of worms?

Thank you for taking the time to read this

Louise

Update on worm fear!-they love the super worms.It was earth worms that really seemed to bother them, anyone else with this?
I'll keep trying them out as I have an endless supply of earth worms in Summer.
Louise

 

[dmarcus]

Hello Louise, I am glad your Bells like the super worms, I no nothing about Hinge Backs so I can't even try to help, but it's always nice to hear when things are going good..

 

[Tortoise]

Hello Louise, I am glad your Bells like the super worms, I no nothing about Hinge Backs so I can't even try to help, but it's always nice to hear when things are going good..

Thanks for the support-I love this forum!!!
I will never stop learning, there are always new things to learn and its great.
Hey do you know if super worms are grown up meal worms or are they a different species?

 

[dmarcus]

I think they are similar but they come from 2 different types of beetle.

 

[Tortoise]

I think they are similar but they come from 2 different types of beetle.

Thank you
I will have to do some research. I have managed to keep the meal worms fairly easily in the past in bran. I hope I can do similar for some super worms as I live a long way from a city to get the worms.
I can't stand holding them though, they make my skin crawl.I do pick them up but I'm way out of my comfort zone

 

[Yvonne G]

We have a couple of forum members who keep hingeback tortoises. I've bumped this thread giving one of them a chance to see it.

 

[Tortoise]

We have a couple of forum members who keep hingeback tortoises. I've bumped this thread giving one of them a chance to see it.

Thanks I don't seem to be getting many replies yet. What does bumping a message mean-sorry for a possibly dumb question?
Do you mean it gets put to the top of the list or moved somewhere else?
thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

It "bumps" it back into today's messages instead of it getting lost in yesterday's. I'll forward this thread's link to the members that I know keep hingebacks.

 

[Kristina]

I keep Hingebacks, but I have Home's, which are the forest type, and Bells are different. Jacqui keeps them, and should be able to answer your questions.

 

[Tortoise]

I keep Hingebacks, but I have Home's, which are the forest type, and Bells are different. Jacqui keeps them, and should be able to answer your questions.

Hi
Thanks
Yes Jacqui has answered a few things for me previous to these questions.She is very helpful- Thank you Jacqui!!!
I just hope I'm not asking too many questions though as there are fewer Bells keepers so more questions are directed to them.

I am just a bit nervous as my tortoises are really new to me-one week today so it seems like a big learning curve for a new species for a while.
I am very relaxed with my Red foots because I know them so well now and there is a lot of info out there on them too.

Thanks for the support everyone

Louise

 

[dmmj]

[/quote]
I just hope I'm not asking too many questions though as there are fewer Bells keepers so more questions are directed to them.
[/quote]
We do have a 100 question limit a day so as long as you stay around 99 or so it should be ok.

 

[Tortoise]

I just hope I'm not asking too many questions though as there are fewer Bells keepers so more questions are directed to them.
[/quote]
We do have a 100 question limit a day so as long as you stay around 99 or so it should be ok.


[/quote]
Wow thanks I better work on a few more!
HEEHEE
you guys are great

 

[Tortoise]

I'm so excited to get replies I have started to reply to myself-oh dear this may be a bad sign.........

this forum is making me crazy in a good way, its like getting mail in the mail box except that the Canada Post has shut down for now!!!

Anyway enough of that-I want to attach a photo of one of my new torts head.I have been so focused on their rear ends trying to sex them I forgot how cute they are.

Louise

 

[Torty Mom]

Yep, Louise he is a cutie!!

 

[Jacqui]

Update on worm fear!-they love the super worms.It was earth worms that really seemed to bother them, anyone else with this?
I'll keep trying them out as I have an endless supply of earth worms in Summer.
Louise

Sometimes they just have to get to know they are food, so yes some are "scared" of them. Sometimes it helps to start with smaller worms and work your way up to the bigger worms. Sometimes chopping them up into the food works. Just every tortoise is a bit different.

---

Hey do you know if super worms are grown up meal worms or are they a different species?

They are a differnt species. You might try them on butterworms. They seem to like the color and smell, plus they are fast at crawling away.

---

Thanks I don't seem to be getting many replies yet. What does bumping a message mean-sorry for a possibly dumb question?
Do you mean it gets put to the top of the list or moved somewhere else?
thanks

Yes to the top of the list (until another post is made or a new thread done.

---

D Thank you Jacqui!!!
I just hope I'm not asking too many questions though as there are fewer Bells keepers so more questions are directed to them.

I am just a bit nervous as my tortoises are really new to me-one week today so it seems like a big learning curve for a new species for a while.
I am very relaxed with my Red foots because I know them so well now and there is a lot of info out there on them too.

Thanks for the support everyone

Louise

Your welcome! There are not a whole lot of active Bells folks on any forum. We tend to be few, far between and some what secretive.

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When do they reach maturity-size/age?
Can they be sexed as hatchlings at all?
If 2 males are likely to fight, when would one expect that to occur-is there a likely age or size or not necessarily at all-does it need a female to start aggressive behavoiur?

When are they capable of successful breeding?

Louise, I wish I could give you an honest answer to at what size, but there just haven't yet been enough captive ones grown up and started breeding, to give you a real answer that isn't a guess. It will be by size, not years. Few breeders share much information either, so you'll have to let us know at what size yours are when the first eggs appear.

I have never housed to adult males together, so I can't give first hand experience. Seems that they can get along well usually, as long as a female is not added to the mix (just like with other tortoises). It is interesting that youngsters (hatchlings) tend to be very aggressive often with each other.

No sure way to determine sexes as hatchlings.

 

[Tortoise]

Update on worm fear!-they love the super worms.It was earth worms that really seemed to bother them, anyone else with this?
I'll keep trying them out as I have an endless supply of earth worms in Summer.
Louise

Sometimes they just have to get to know they are food, so yes some are "scared" of them. Sometimes it helps to start with smaller worms and work your way up to the bigger worms. Sometimes chopping them up into the food works. Just every tortoise is a bit different.

---

Hey do you know if super worms are grown up meal worms or are they a different species?

They are a differnt species. You might try them on butterworms. They seem to like the color and smell, plus they are fast at crawling away.

---

Thanks I don't seem to be getting many replies yet. What does bumping a message mean-sorry for a possibly dumb question?
Do you mean it gets put to the top of the list or moved somewhere else?
thanks

Yes to the top of the list (until another post is made or a new thread done.

---

D Thank you Jacqui!!!
I just hope I'm not asking too many questions though as there are fewer Bells keepers so more questions are directed to them.

I am just a bit nervous as my tortoises are really new to me-one week today so it seems like a big learning curve for a new species for a while.
I am very relaxed with my Red foots because I know them so well now and there is a lot of info out there on them too.

Thanks for the support everyone

Louise

Your welcome! There are not a whole lot of active Bells folks on any forum. We tend to be few, far between and some what secretive.

---

When do they reach maturity-size/age?
Can they be sexed as hatchlings at all?
If 2 males are likely to fight, when would one expect that to occur-is there a likely age or size or not necessarily at all-does it need a female to start aggressive behavoiur?

When are they capable of successful breeding?

Louise, I wish I could give you an honest answer to at what size, but there just haven't yet been enough captive ones grown up and started breeding, to give you a real answer that isn't a guess. It will be by size, not years. Few breeders share much information either, so you'll have to let us know at what size yours are when the first eggs appear.

I have never housed to adult males together, so I can't give first hand experience. Seems that they can get along well usually, as long as a female is not added to the mix (just like with other tortoises). It is interesting that youngsters (hatchlings) tend to be very aggressive often with each other.

No sure way to determine sexes as hatchlings.

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Hi
Thanks for answering my questions Jacqui. I'm happy to share any info I gain along the way here.
It looks like I may have 2 boys and near impossible to locate a girl in Canada-I won't give up searching. Its apparently legal(according to CFIA) to import them in from the US, yet very few people have actually succeeded and a breeder in the US with bells babies doesn't ship that type to other countries or managed to move them into Canada whatever breed.

If anyone in Canada happens to have or knows of Bells tortoises for sale I would really appreciate any information.

Happy Fathers Day to any fathers out there

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Yep, Louise he is a cutie!!

Thanks Torty Mom!!