Turtles are quiet, curious and long-lived pets. However, they do not usually reproduce easily, especially in captivity. If you love these reptiles and are thinking of raising turtles, you should inform yourself in advance about the steps you must follow. Surely with a little patience you will get them to reproduce.
Make sure you have a male and female turtle
Generally, male tortoises are more colorful and outgoing than females. We can also find another difference in the plastron (the lower part of the carapace) since the females have it flat, while that of the males is concave. Also, the plastron of females is larger since they need space for eggs.
If you have doubts and are not able to determine the sex of your reptiles, it is best to go to an exotic animal veterinarian.
Are they sexually mature?
These reptiles cannot reproduce until they have reached sexual maturity. Water turtles usually take at least three years, while females need at least five years. This is why your turtles won’t reproduce until they are at least five years old. Also, if you have just adopted your turtle, you will have to wait a year before having young, regardless of how old it is.
Chill your turtles
To increase the chances of them reproducing, you will have to keep your turtles at a temperature between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. In addition, the nesting season usually runs from March to June, so the cooling season will take place from December to February.
It is important that you leave your turtles alone during this period. If they live in an outdoor pond, you can take advantage of the natural cold of winter and allow them to hibernate. When the cooling season is over, you should return your turtles to their normal temperature.
Create a nesting area
If you want your reptiles to have young, it is essential that you build a shelter for them. The nesting area should have soft soil, rocks, and logs so that the female feels safe laying her eggs and hiding them there. Likewise, laying usually takes between 24 and 48 hours, and a few weeks may pass between laying and laying.
Once you have the eggs you should get an incubator. However, if you do not get it, it will be enough to keep the eggs at a normal summer temperature. Also, on excessively hot days you will have to place them in a cooler place and make sure they are humid.
During the first month and a half it is important that you check the eggs once a week . After 45 days you should observe them more frequently to see if they are hatching. Depending on the incubator, the turtles will take between 50 and 120 days to hatch.
