15 Yr old Female Chaco looking for breeding partner

[tortadise]

Hello Kim,
Welcome to the forum. Chacos are excellent tortoises. I've had a pair for 9 years now. The female has laid several times but it's been a challenge to hatch any eggs. My male is around 20 years old as well as my female. I would suggest waiting to get your tortoise set up and make sure she doesn't have MBD and in in very good health before doing a breeding venture on her. If you would like to get her checked out I would intertain breeding my male withher. But just so you know that hatching the eggs has been a huge challenge. Get her thoroughly checked out from a good reptile vet first.
Send me some photos of her cloacal area and plastron. Males and females look very similar. My male is 6 inches and female it 7.5 that's pretty much how you tell them apart. Many people think my male is a female until you catch him breeding.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Howie (or Kim):

I'd like to see you get rid of that sand and put in a different substrate. Some folks really love the Bed-A-Beast (coconut coir), but my all time favorite is Orchid Bark. I buy the fine grade (small pieces). Orchid bark is fir bark, but because orchids are sensitive, the bark is pretty clean, with no pesticides or fertilizers in it. You can keep orchid bark moistened, which keeps down the dust. Plus it has the added benefit of helping your tortoise's shell grow smoothly (when its a baby). In the real world, tortoises dig down into the earth, then they poop and pee in there, and they live in a pretty humid environment, even though it may be dry up above. The added humidity from a moistened substrate helps the tortoise and makes them comfortable. You can spread the orchid bark (or coconut coir, or even dirt from the yard) all over the bottom of the habitat, making it be about 3 or 4 inches deep.

 

[tortadise]

i agree with yvonne. sand is not a good substrate for her. i wasnt able to see the photos on my phone but i can see them now im my computer. she does appear do have some MBD which is not the best ideal to be breeding her. she looks happy however. everything yvonne said is the best way to go on your part in giving her the perfect environment. They love to burrow, well at least mine do.and lots of humidity. but dont wet the substrate. i wouild recommend a vicks humidifer there pretty cheap and get the humidity pretty high.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

welcome to tfo!

 

[SleepyChaco]

Here is a shot of Sleepy's underside.

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Hi Howie (or Kim):

I'd like to see you get rid of that sand and put in a different substrate. Some folks really love the Bed-A-Beast (coconut coir), but my all time favorite is Orchid Bark. I buy the fine grade (small pieces). Orchid bark is fir bark, but because orchids are sensitive, the bark is pretty clean, with no pesticides or fertilizers in it. You can keep orchid bark moistened, which keeps down the dust. Plus it has the added benefit of helping your tortoise's shell grow smoothly (when its a baby). In the real world, tortoises dig down into the earth, then they poop and pee in there, and they live in a pretty humid environment, even though it may be dry up above. The added humidity from a moistened substrate helps the tortoise and makes them comfortable. You can spread the orchid bark (or coconut coir, or even dirt from the yard) all over the bottom of the habitat, making it be about 3 or 4 inches deep.

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Thank you for your suggestion. Kim and I will ditch the sand and replace it with orchid bark this week. I was never too fond of the sand anyway. Do you spray it with water to keep it moist?? and if so, How often do you spray it?? Also, how thick a layer of bark do you suggest we use?? Sorry for all the questions, but you guys on this site have been terrific in educating us on proper tortoise management.

 

[Yvonne G]

I generally pour a pitcher-full of water over the substrate then mix it up with my hand. I try to have about 3 to 4" of substrate. I pour more water when it has dried out, usually once a week.

Please don't worry or ever feel guilty for asking questions. We're here for the questions...becoming friendly and chatting comes as a perk.

 

[Benjamin]

Hello Kim,
Welcome to the forum. Chacos are excellent tortoises. I've had a pair for 9 years now. The female has laid several times but it's been a challenge to hatch any eggs. My male is around 20 years old as well as my female. I would suggest waiting to get your tortoise set up and make sure she doesn't have MBD and in in very good health before doing a breeding venture on her. If you would like to get her checked out I would intertain breeding my male withher. But just so you know that hatching the eggs has been a huge challenge. Get her thoroughly checked out from a good reptile vet first.
Send me some photos of her cloacal area and plastron. Males and females look very similar. My male is 6 inches and female it 7.5 that's pretty much how you tell them apart. Many people think my male is a female until you catch him breeding.

I think diapause is neccesary. The only one I ever hatched took 344 days.

 

[ada caro]

Welcome to TFO.

 

[webskipper]

Welcome!

Sounds like you need to make an eTortoiseHarmony or Match profile.

 

[tortadise]

I was thinking that. I had some growth but nothing hatch. I had them incubated at 78 for 3 years in the winter time it dropped of course because of ambient cool air. At what time did you diapause the eggs and temperature? Ive been trying.

 

[Benjamin]

I was thinking that. I had some growth but nothing hatch. I had them incubated at 78 for 3 years in the winter time it dropped of course because of ambient cool air. At what time did you diapause the eggs and temperature? Ive been trying.

First 35 days at 82F. Next 35 days at lower 70s, then the remaining time at 82F. It turned out being a male.
I know of some that were kept mid 60s for several months, then moved to mid 80s, they hatched after about 100 days. Both sexes were produced. Of interest clutches laid months apart, having shorter diapause, hatched during the same time period as the early clutches.

 

[qixer01]

Welcome

 

[tortadise]

Awesome I will give that a try benn tired of being unsuccessful over the years. We will see what happens. Mine usually lay in August so hopefully this will be the year. And I can maybe give a baby to Kim so she can have a mate for her Chaco and start uplifting the captive populations.

 

[Halcyon]

Awesome I will give that a try benn tired of being unsuccessful over the years. We will see what happens. Mine usually lay in August so hopefully this will be the year. And I can maybe give a baby to Kim so she can have a mate for her Chaco and start uplifting the captive populations.

and me pretty please? Chico is 10 months old now and could do with a mate

 

[Yvonne G]

This has been a very interesting turn that the thread has taken, but my "everything in its place" side thinks its a shame that the egg thing has been hidden under the guise of an introductions thread. There may be a Chaco keeper out there with spoiled eggs every year wondering what in the world he's doing wrong, and he'll never find the diapause info because its in the wrong place.

I'd love for it to be put into the correct spot. Could one of you start a new thread? I thought about splitting it, but the original diapause comment has info offered to the OP and wouldn't stand on its own if split.