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Thanks Marissa, Ed, and Andrew!! n/p


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Posted by York on January 23, 1999 at 02:38:52:

In Reply to: Leopard Tortoise eggs...questions? posted by York on January 22, 1999 at 03:07:26:

: Hello all! I am very new to the tortoise forum. Usually I comb the venomous forum and it sometimes gets frustrating when it is dominated by novices...so, thanks in advance for anyone who has the patience to read and hopefully respond to my questions.
: Nearly 9 years ago in an effort to help my wife relate to my hobby (snakes...especially hots) we purchased a leopard tortoise from a reputable breeder at the Orlando show. Two years later we purchased another one. We love our tortoises the way most people love their dogs. As we now know, we were lucky enough to have purchased a male and female. In 1997...when he was 7 and she was 5...they copulated all summer long. From my readings, I believed that this was quite early. They are huge for their age (as far as I know) and it is quite possible that we have overfed them through the years (although they were both larger than average as newborns and the female was by far the largest newborn I have ever seen. Question #1: Isn't it unusual that they would breed at such an early age? I understand that breeding is a factor of size more than age...but still...5 years old?
: In March of 1998, she laid two small eggs. I incubated them much like I would snake eggs and they didn't hatch. Honestly, I didn't believe they would since the parents are so young and the eggs were so small.
: In the summer of 1998, the pair again bred like Banshees. This time, I did more homework so that I would know what to do when the time came. Unfortunately, I still do not have a solid idea of what to do with the eggs that recently hatched. There seems to be no consensus in the literature. I own four tortoise books and I have asked numerous breeders at the Orlando and San Diego reptile shows. I get conflicting reports. Some people seem to think that leopards are real tricky and some seem to think it is very easy. Question #2 Is there a supreme publication that I can read that will tell me all I need to know?
: This year the female has thus far laid only three eggs over a two month period. Is that unusual? Last year she laid both eggs in March. This year she laid two in November, and one in early January. Is that unusual? I am keeping the eggs in a mixture of light potting soil and water at a temperature of 75-80 degrees. Is this suitable? Should I use vermiculite? The eggs laid in November are noticeably smaller and more thick-shelled than the one laid in January.
: Are incubators a good idea? Several breeders told me that they had limited success with them.
: I could go on asking questions. I live in Colorado where it is impossible to bury my eggs outside. The adults roam the entire basement (I have supplied the female with a cosy area in which to lay her eggs and so far she lays the eggs on the hard floor and defecates in the pine bedding)with appropriate full spectrum lighting and hot spots for thermoregulation in the cold months. When it is warm, they have the whole backyard. My wife and I are dedicated to providing good homes for our leopards. WE DO NOT VIEW THEM AS MONEY MAKERS. However, if they are gonna procreate, we want to do our part to hatch the eggs. If someone can recommend a book or doesn't mind answering my long-winded plethora of questions, I appreciate it. I welcome all comments...positive and negative. Thank you. York




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