...as when I put away my ammo cans today. While I found a nice surprise in my ammo cans, I did not find any surprises in the substrate of the tortoise enclosure. In other words, there were no eggs. In all likelihood, it was better that I did not find any eggs because chances are they would have been in there awhile and been too cool to have incubated properly. The only luck I have had with tortoise eggs has been when I found them as my female Herman's tortoise has been laying. Those go from the hole she has dug for them right into the incubator to maintain about a 90 degree Fahrenheit temperature to assure they have a good hatch rate.
This year, is the first time I brumated (hibernation for tortoises and other reptiles) my male Hermann's tortoise, at least the one I have now. My previous male was probably stolen out of my backyard but while I had him, he shot live loads for sure. I am hoping I had the current one in a dormant state for long enough. I kept him at lower temps (maybe 45 degrees Fahrenheit on average for about a month and a half). Being this species is one that comes from countries around the Mediterranean Sea, I am betting that a fairly short brumation period will be enough to have him firing live loads this year. If not, then next year it will be a longer brumation period for him, maybe three to four months.
It would sure be nice though to get some fertile eggs this year that go all the way to hatching. Last year, there were one or two fertile eggs, out of three clutches of a few eggs each clutch. Even though he had not been brumated back then, I think the problem was that I did not find the eggs until too late. Those two live eggs both died long before hatching was due. This year, the male has been brumated some, should be fertile, and I will need to check for eggs on a much more frequent basis.
In the past, my female has produced several clutches of viable eggs, all fertilized by a different and older male than the one I have currently. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will produce two or three viable clutches this year but I think it all depends on whether or not the male is ready and whether or not I find them promptly after she lays. I have been feeding them quite a bit and giving them water a lot in the hopes it will help condition them for a successful breeding. As usual, the male is much more interested in breeding than he is in eating; he is a typical ,man-swine male tortoise.
All the best,
Glenn B
This year, is the first time I brumated (hibernation for tortoises and other reptiles) my male Hermann's tortoise, at least the one I have now. My previous male was probably stolen out of my backyard but while I had him, he shot live loads for sure. I am hoping I had the current one in a dormant state for long enough. I kept him at lower temps (maybe 45 degrees Fahrenheit on average for about a month and a half). Being this species is one that comes from countries around the Mediterranean Sea, I am betting that a fairly short brumation period will be enough to have him firing live loads this year. If not, then next year it will be a longer brumation period for him, maybe three to four months.
It would sure be nice though to get some fertile eggs this year that go all the way to hatching. Last year, there were one or two fertile eggs, out of three clutches of a few eggs each clutch. Even though he had not been brumated back then, I think the problem was that I did not find the eggs until too late. Those two live eggs both died long before hatching was due. This year, the male has been brumated some, should be fertile, and I will need to check for eggs on a much more frequent basis.
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| He sure has been going at it these last few days. |
All the best,
Glenn B
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