BREEDING SEASON 2011

[ALDABRAMAN]

We have noticed that this past mating season with our colony of aldabras has been way above average. The weather has been beautiful here in SW Florida. We have noticed our males very active and our females highly receptive during the mating process. My question is have any fellow tortoise breeders, any/all species, noticed any differences in this past breeding season than past breeding seasons?

Please feel free to add any comments regarding this topic, positive or negative. Thanks to all for participatio, ALDABRAMAN.

 

[matt41gb]

My red-foots have been breeding since March, but not more than usual. We had the hottest and driest summer on record this year, but they would breed if I had the sprinklers on. I ended up with 23 eggs this year as opposed to just nine last year.

-Matt

 

[cdmay]

Yep. My males were breeding maniacs this summer. They have slowed a little the past couple of weeks but they are still very active even now.

 

[jackrat]

Mine are breeding all the time,but the females are all laying later this year. They were all wide open in September last year. This year,so far,only two individuals have started laying. One of them has laid two clutches.The other,one clutch,last night.

 

[Tom]

In my pen the breeding season only lasts from early January to late december every year. My male breeds them nearly every day. No different this year.

 

[Az tortoise compound]

Nesting behavior and egg laying started later this year...across the board.
Like Tom's yard, breeding behavior around here is as common as sunshine in AZ.

 

[Guggie]

In my pen the breeding season only lasts from early January to late december every year.

Ha!!

 

[DeanS]

It strikes me that everyone who's had successful breeding (and production) in the past are exceeding previous endeavors! Now! There are a lot of new faces having first-time success, as well! Definitely...above average!

 

[N2TORTS]

Greg ....yes matter of fact I just came home and 2 of my Cherry's are laying same night, same time . We too have had an Indian Summer' with temps higher than norm for this time of year . I have noticed this year the torts are a month behind their normal egg laying times. Usally I start getting eggs in early Aug/ Sept. ....but now mid Oct ?
keeping ma' fingers crossed~


JD~

 

[Geochelone_Carbonaria]

I just voted "below avarage", but this can be explained by the very dodgy and unusual summer we've had here in Sweden this year. Not very warm, not very cold, quite a lot of rain, but most cloudy.

As I wrote in another thread, one of my females has laid four clutches this year, starting in march (5 eggs indoors), may (5 eggs outdoors), august (3 eggs outdoors) and last week (3 eggs indoors).One other female laid 3 eggs outdoor in july, but the others havn't laid any eggs at all !

So far, the females has laid 19 eggs, I still got 16 eggs in the incubator, and I've lost 3 that was rotten from the first clutch :-(

Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Last-Redfoot-clutch-for-this-season#ixzz1c0vnA7tq

 

[N2TORTS]

So far average , but the strange thing is all the females seem to be about 6 weeks late in laying eggs. Just in the past week I have had 3 females lay 11 eggs total , and expecting 3 more to pop anytime soon. Maybe what I call and Indian summer" .. might be the cause as where I live we still have very warm temps for this time of year. I also have noticed alot of my exotic plants still in bloom . I have plumerias in full bloom and its almost Nov?... wild huh ? ...
Anyhow .. wishing everyone a happy hatching , and hopefully we all will be happy campers in about 4 months ....

JD~