Two breeding questions

[jerm42991]

I have two questions that I am curious about.

The first is, will a female tort lay eggs, even if they aren't fertile and no contact with a male? I know birds do, so I was wondering about torts.

The second is, has anyone ever tried a "natural" birth? What I mean is, most people take the eggs and place them in an incubator and that probably will give you the highest chance of the eggs actually hatching. But has anyone ever just let the eggs go as if they were in nature? Obviously you would have to have the right climate and everything, but just wondering if there is a reason this isn't done more.

 

[dmmj]

many many years ago I had a female CDT lay eggs I left them alone ants found them and they were all eaten.

 

[dmarcus]

I am no expert but I know that some female tortoises will lay eggs even if they were never with a male.

Also there are a few member on this forum who lets eggs hatch natural in the ground...

 

[Tom]

1. Yes, but not usually.

2. This is fairly common with the right species in the right areas. All of my South African Leopards are hatched this way.

 

[evlinLoutries]

it can be fertile if she was in a wild life or at farm who has a male tort..

cause from what I read, female tort can save male sperm in their body for 2-3 years..

 

[GBtortoises]

The best way is to treat every egg as if it is fertile until you find out otherwise. Tortoises will drop eggs on top of the ground. They are usually not fertile. But is some cases they can be. She may have done so because of being recently moved to a new environment, not have a suitable nesting spot or a variety of other reasons.

They can produce eggs without ever having been with a male. But those are obviously not going to ever be fertile. But in the case of many wild caught tortoises or tortoises that you do not know the history of, those eggs could be fertile, even without a male present recently. That is why all eggs should be treated as fertile until you know they are not.