Redfooted tortoise short incubation?

[RBdiverman]

So I am new to the forum. I have a pair of redfooted tortoises for about 10 years now. Recently I found a baby tortoise in the backyard apparently A new hatchling. This is about a month ago. I assumed the egg was laid 3 to 4 months prior to me finding the hatchling. I was very excited to find out my tortoises have been breeding successfully without any help. I live in Southern California and has been a warm summer this year. As winter comes I put my tortoises in a flower bed where I have a heat source. I put them there about two weeks ago and today I found three more baby tortoises. I'm a little confused on incubation time. Everything I have read about incubation should take 3 to 4 months. As the tortoises have only been in the flower bed for about two weeks I am not sure on how this is happening if anyone has advice I would appreciate it.
Thank you

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! have you ever put your female in the flower beds before?

 

[naturalman91]

may have been from the last time they were in the flower beds i'm not sure on incubation period but it's possible just a very slow incubation

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome to TFO & Congrats!

 

[tortdad]

It has to be from when they were in there before or she found a way in to lay, then back to her regular area.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Redfoot gestation is close to half a year. And congratulations!

 

[RBdiverman]

Thanks for everyone's reply. Have taken in consideration all these facts. However none of them could be true. The area they are currently in the flower bed has been worked over the summer and no eggs would've been able to survive. As far as laying them in the summer area and rolling them to the flower bed they have no access to that area at this time. The only other consideration is the little guys walked from the summer area to the flower bed as they can fit under the chain-link fence which seems highly improbable. As well as I have found eggshells in the flower bed. The conclusion I came to is that she is incubating the eggs internally and laying them just before they hatch.

Some freaky evolutionary stuff.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I guess we'll never know.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Anyfoot]

Thanks for everyone's reply. Have taken in consideration all these facts. However none of them could be true. The area they are currently in the flower bed has been worked over the summer and no eggs would've been able to survive. As far as laying them in the summer area and rolling them to the flower bed they have no access to that area at this time. The only other consideration is the little guys walked from the summer area to the flower bed as they can fit under the chain-link fence which seems highly improbable. As well as I have found eggshells in the flower bed. The conclusion I came to is that she is incubating the eggs internally and laying them just before they hatch.

Some freaky evolutionary stuff.

Welcome mate. Are you sure a friend or family member is not having a laugh and playing tricks with you. Sounds like something my mates would do.

 

[RBdiverman]

I don't think so. My wife would know how to do anything this elaborate. Still searching the web haven't found any information on a short incubation cycle such as I am experiencing. The new tortoises are doing great with their brother or sister.

 

[Anyfoot]

I don't think so. My wife would know how to do anything this elaborate. Still searching the web haven't found any information on a short incubation cycle such as I am experiencing. The new tortoises are doing great with their brother or sister.

How deep is the flower bed, and how deep would you have worked the flower bed. Torts can bury there eggs very deep. If you have not dug that deep when working your flower bed maybe you missed them.