Good Morning all - Angulata Chersina

[CarolM]

Hi thought I would share a few pics.

1. Baby is doing well in her enclosure
2. Baby's Mom in her spot where she likes to hide
3. Baby's aunt enjoying a hibiscus flower.
Enjoy.
The two Adult females like to go under the bushes. And the Adult male hides so well the only time I see him is when he comes out. So will take a photo of him when he appears.

 

[CarolM]

Hi thought I would share a few pics.

1. Baby is doing well in her enclosure
2. Baby's Mom in her spot where she likes to hide
3. Baby's aunt enjoying a hibiscus flower.
Enjoy.
The two Adult females like to go under the bushes. And the Adult male hides so well the only time I see him is when he comes out. So will take a photo of him when he appears.View attachment 225172View attachment 225173View attachment 225174

And Dad decided to come out.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for posting these Carol. Love them!

 

[CarolM]

Thank you for posting these Carol. Love them!

You are welcome Tom.

 

[CarolM]

Ok. I cine home today after being out. And I go outside to take water out of the drum where I catch the rain water to water the weeds etc for the tortioses. I see that Aunty is nearby and for some reason she has wet sand on the back of her shell. I think that is strange then I happen to look down on the ground by the drum. See a whole in the sand and a liitle white egg sitting next to it on top. Obviously this is the first time she has lain any eggs. I Think she will however need a little more practice.....

 

[CarolM]

Ok. I come home today after being out. And I go outside to take water out of the drum where I catch the rain water to water the weeds etc for the tortoises. I see that Aunty is nearby and for some reason she has wet sand on the back of her shell. I think that is strange then I happen to look down on the ground by the drum. See a hole in the sand and a liitle white egg sitting next to it on top. Obviously this is the first time she has lain any eggs. I Think she will however need a little more practice.....

So now I think to myself should I leave it alone or must I pick it up. If I leave it where it is my dog will definitly eat it. So I picked it up and put it with my other egg. But do you guys think I should go and put it in the hole she created and cover it up?

 

[Tom]

If you already know the egg will not make it outside, then I would incubate it inside.

 

[CarolM]

If you already know the egg will not make it outside, then I would incubate it inside.

Am I correct in thinking this is her first egg seen as how she did not put it in the hole that she made for it?

 

[Tom]

Am I correct in thinking this is her first egg seen as how she did not put it in the hole that she made for it?

Could be. Sometime first time moms will do things like that. There are many possible explanations.

 

[CarolM]

Could be. Sometime first time moms will do things like that. There are many possible explanations.

I gave her some dandelion and endive leaves and put some calcium powder on them. Thinking she might need some nutrients now. Is there anything else I should give her?

 

[Tom]

I gave her some dandelion and endive leaves and put some calcium powder on them. Thinking she might need some nutrients now. Is there anything else I should give her?

My females use a fair amount of water when digging nests, so I like to soak them the day after. You will have to decide if this is something that would be okay, or something that would disturb your wild girl there. Our situations are quite different, so you'll have to be the judge of what would be best in your garden.

 

[CarolM]

My females use a fair amount of water when digging nests, so I like to soak them the day after. You will have to decide if this is something that would be okay, or something that would disturb your wild girl there. Our situations are quite different, so you'll have to be the judge of what would be best in your garden.

I will put out some more water just in case. Also might blitz some food with water so it is fairly liquid. So when she eats she can get some more water in that way.

 

[kingsley]

Thanks for the Pics Carol, looks like an older female and I see two eggs was one already buried?

 

[William Lee Kohler]

Definitely an older girl. No way she's a first time mom.

 

[CarolM]

Thanks for the Pics Carol, looks like an older female and I see two eggs was one already buried?

Hi Kingsley
The egg on the right on pic was laid on the 27th April just before the baby in the other pics hatched. At the time I was confused as I was confused about the egg and the baby. So I dug up the site where I saw the female lay the egg to check. And after seeing that the egg was still there I decided to bring it inside. In hindsight I should have just covered the egg and left it. Anyway I am still waiting on it to hatch. Will do an update on it when it hatches or if it hatches.

 

[CarolM]

Definitely an older girl. No way she's a first time mom.

In the interest of learning can i ask why you would say she is an older girl? And why would she lay the egg on top of the ground next to the hole she dug. She laid another egg the next day and got it right that time. Egg was laid in the hole and covered correctly in the second laying.

 

[CarolM]

Thanks for the Pics Carol, looks like an older female and I see two eggs was one already buried?

This is the egg on the right.

 

[CarolM]

Thanks for the Pics Carol, looks like an older female and I see two eggs was one already buried?

How are your hatchlings doing if I may ask?

 

[Sterant]

In the interest of learning can i ask why you would say she is an older girl? And why would she lay the egg on top of the ground next to the hole she dug. She laid another egg the next day and got it right that time. Egg was laid in the hole and covered correctly in the second laying.

Her shell size, appearance and condition would indicate she is older. You can also see the centers of each scute are worn. this happens from rubbing against bushes and squeezing under hides, but a good portion of it is likely from mating. Considering reports that they reach sexual maturity around 6 or 7 years of age, she clearly appears to be considerably older than that. Now if it wasn't for the fact that she is in a community of tortoises, witnessed by you, to contain males - it would be possible (though very, very unlikely) that she had never run into a male, but that is clearly not the case here. Others correct me if I'm wrong, but that is probably what lead the others to come to the conclusion that she is older and this is not her first nest!

 

[CarolM]

Her shell size, appearance and condition would indicate she is older. You can also see the centers of each scute are worn. this happens from rubbing against bushes and squeezing under hides, but a good portion of it is likely from mating. Considering reports that they reach sexual maturity around 6 or 7 years of age, she clearly appears to be considerably older than that. Now if it wasn't for the fact that she is in a community of tortoises, witnessed by you, to contain males - it would be possible (though very, very unlikely) that she had never run into a male, but that is clearly not the case here. Others correct me if I'm wrong, but that is probably what lead the others to come to the conclusion that she is older and this is not her first nest!

Okay. Good to know. I am trying to learn as much as possible.