Introduction

[Redfoot Rancher]

Hello! My name is Ryan and I live in Palm Beach County, Florida. I have 7 adult Redfoot tortoises; 3 male and 4 female. They live in an outdoor, fenced enclosure that is 36' x 14'. My initial idea was to start a licensed Red/Yellowfoot tortoise rescue, since there seem to be so many unwanted adults (many with shell deformations from improper nutrition and housing). I never planned on breeding them. But, naturally, they are breeding. Now I am curious about hatching out a clutch or two. I have several questions that I haven't been able to find on any website. For example, How long are tortoise eggs viable prior to going into an incubator? Or, does incubation begin at the time the eggs are laid? Also, how should the eggs be stored prior to incubation? Thank you!

 

[Jacqui]

Hi and welcome! Can I ask a question and please don't take it the wrong way, but if you never intended to breed them, why did you not set up a male enclosure and a female one?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ryan, and welcome to the Forum!

I don't know if it goes into breeding/egg specifically, but there's a bunch of good reading here at the Tortoise Library

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome

 

[TortoiseWorld]

Welcome Ryan,
There is lots of good tortoise care information on this forum.

Best wishes

 

[coreyc]

Hello Ryan welcome to the TFO

 

[Redfoot Rancher]

Jaqui,


Your question is valid, so no offense taken. I did try to divide the enclosure into two halves with a 3 foot cinder block wall in the middle. I encountered two issues: 1) I'm not sure if they were smelling each other or hearing each other, but the tortoises on either side seemed to be able to sense their neighbors on the other side. Both sides (but particularly the females) spent most of their time and energy trying to climb the wall, or they would pace back and forth along the wall. 2) The males were never at peace. When they weren't trying to breed each other from either the back or the front, they were trying to flip each other over. I suppose problem #1 could have been resolved if the two enclosures were in completely different places, but wouldn't have solved #2. Now that the wall is down and everyone interacts, they are much more at peace.

I do have the option to simply not incubate the eggs. Perhaps that is the responsible thing to do. The eggs are just a curiosity.