Aldabra Fertility

[Tortoise name Bailey]

Hello.

I have a 18 year old Aldabra about 160-170# and he has come of age. I have been entertaining purchasing a 17yo female to make the pair. My intention is to have the two breed at some point. My concern is that I remember reading years ago about males being sterile. I also remember reading that males raised in groups of males having higher sterile percentages. He has been a lone male in his pen all his life.

I'm just trying to get a feel of realistic expectations of the pair cooperating.

Anyone have any real world input on this?

 

[wellington]

Not other than the fact that tortoises should not be kept in pairs.
Get two females. But you have to have the room to house and have roam three Aldabras.

 

[wellington]

Btw, he looks pretty small to me for being that old. Are you 100% on his age?
7 year olds I have seen looked bigger.

 

[zovick]

Hello.

I have a 18 year old Aldabra about 160-170# and he has come of age. I have been entertaining purchasing a 17yo female to make the pair. My intention is to have the two breed at some point. My concern is that I remember reading years ago about males being sterile. I also remember reading that males raised in groups of males having higher sterile percentages. He has been a lone male in his pen all his life.

I'm just trying to get a feel of realistic expectations of the pair cooperating.

Anyone have any real world input on this?View attachment 364925View attachment 364926View attachment 364927View attachment 364928

I seem to recall reading that US raised Aldabra Tortoises need to be about 30 years old before they are able to breed successfully. You may need to wait a while longer for such success, but that should not stop you from buying a female for the future (assuming you have patience and enough room).

Maybe @ALDABRAMAN would be able to add some insights here. He certainly has the experience to do so.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I just wanted to comment about his watering bowl. That is just so cool and stays nice and clean.

 

[Tom]

Hello.

I have a 18 year old Aldabra about 160-170# and he has come of age. I have been entertaining purchasing a 17yo female to make the pair. My intention is to have the two breed at some point. My concern is that I remember reading years ago about males being sterile. I also remember reading that males raised in groups of males having higher sterile percentages. He has been a lone male in his pen all his life.

I'm just trying to get a feel of realistic expectations of the pair cooperating.

Anyone have any real world input on this?View attachment 364925View attachment 364926View attachment 364927View attachment 364928

Never pairs. Groups for breeding. You might also need a second male to get breeding stimulated.

I don't know where you read those things about males being sterile, but it doesn't seem reasonable based on what I have seen. Aldabras are just generally difficult to reproduce in typical captive conditions. Almost no one is able to get them to reproduce. Other than Aldabraman, I know of two others regularly getting fertile eggs. One is a lone male, and the other was raised and lives in a large group.

They need a lot of space along with warm humid conditions. Houston might work except for the winters. There is one zoo that was able to produce a few babies over many years of trying, but the only people I know of regularly reproducing them are in South Florida.

@zovick I've personally seen the two year old babies of a 15 year old female. The owner knew the mother was 13 at the time of laying fertile eggs because he hatched her himself. The female lives as part of a large group on several acres and mostly eats the grass that grows in the pen. This breeder produces 100s of fertile eggs per year from the group of many many females of all ages. I don't remember the age of the other one at the other facility, but I recall it being around 20-25. The adage I was told that only really old, large, WC females can produce fertile eggs is apparently not true.

@Tortoise name Bailey I would love to see you succeed. I am happy to share what I have learned. Questions are welcome publicly or privately. I don't mind conversing by phone if that will help you.

 

[Tortoise name Bailey]

Btw, he looks pretty small to me for being that old. Are you 100% on his age?
7 year olds I have seen looked bigger.

Yes I have had him that long. I got him in 07 and he was at least 2 if not 3 years old when he was shipped.

 

[Tortoise name Bailey]

Never pairs. Groups for breeding. You might also need a second male to get breeding stimulated.

I don't know where you read those things about males being sterile, but it doesn't seem reasonable based on what I have seen. Aldabras are just generally difficult to reproduce in typical captive conditions. Almost no one is able to get them to reproduce. Other than Aldabraman, I know of two others regularly getting fertile eggs. One is a lone male, and the other was raised and lives in a large group.

They need a lot of space along with warm humid conditions. Houston might work except for the winters. There is one zoo that was able to produce a few babies over many years of trying, but the only people I know of regularly reproducing them are in South Florida.

@zovick I've personally seen the two year old babies of a 15 year old female. The owner knew the mother was 13 at the time of laying fertile eggs because he hatched her himself. The female lives as part of a large group on several acres and mostly eats the grass that grows in the pen. This breeder produces 100s of fertile eggs per year from the group of many many females of all ages. I don't remember the age of the other one at the other facility, but I recall it being around 20-25. The adage I was told that only really old, large, WC females can produce fertile eggs is apparently not true.

@Tortoise name Bailey I would love to see you succeed. I am happy to share what I have learned. Questions are welcome publicly or privately. I don't mind conversing by phone if that will help you.

Thanks for the information. It is appreciated 👏

 

[Tortoise name Bailey]

I just wanted to comment about his watering bowl. That is just so cool and stays nice and clean.

You can get one on Amazon.

Automatic Dog Water Bowl Dispenser, Stainless Steel Water Feeder Trough for Livestock Horse Cattle, Farm Animal Waterer Dispenser with Drain Hole https://a.co/d/0FlrbGo

 

[Tortoise name Bailey]

Btw, he looks pretty small to me for being that old. Are you 100% on his age?
7 year olds I have seen looked bigger.

Some of those pics are quite old too. The only semi current one is with me neeling next to him.