Breeding size?

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hannah

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Hi all. Questions: My female is 4 inches and my male is 5 1/2, this was done from one end of the shell to the other, does this indicate age or maturity?
2. I'm assuming the male is a male as his tail is REALLY long compared to hers, but it doesn't really curl, (sometimes it does) and there is no 'hook'.
3. I do not have them in hopes of breeding but if there were to be eggs at some point could I just let 'nature take it's course' and if they hatch great but not do the whole incubator thing?
4. Does toe size indicate perhaps age or maturity? His are pretty intense compared to the smaller females.

Thanks for any help!
 

tortoisenerd

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Pictures would be VERY helpful. Please include full tort shots, tail shots from underneath, shots of the backsides, and underside (plastron) for the best answers.

Are the measurements a straight line distance (Straight Carapace Length, SCL), or along the length of the shell? Make sure they are SCL. The length will give an idea of age, but usually they are sexually mature at X length (I don't remember the exact size). The male could possibly be close to full grown, as some don't get larger than that. The female is probably younger than the male; I have heard some get as large as 11 inches, some much smaller though.

Are you talking about the toe or the nail/claw?

The chances of eggs hatching if they were laid in the enclosure would be very slim. Do you plan to keep the two torts together? Have there been signs of aggression? If the male is truly a male, you'd likely start to see some breeding aggression soon. Most owners don't keep males and females together unless it's a large outdoor enclosure, and/or the females outnumber the males by a few.
 

hannah

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i will add pics tomorrow! no agression seen yet, but then again, i dont watch them every minute, i
did catch them nose to nose yesterday.
 
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