How to Breed a Pair of Tortoises

When properly cared for, most tortoise species are easy to breed. The real challenge of breeding tortoises is providing adequate care for hatchlings and ensuring that you have enough space for them, or that they go to competent, loving homes. Tortoises continue growing their entire lives, but most reach sexual maturity around six years old. Tortoises will produce healthy offspring when the parents are healthy, so make sure you carefully follow the care requirements of your specific breed of tortoise.

Things You'll Need

  • Water mister
  • Vermiculite or peat moss
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Instructions

    • 1

      House three or four females with one male. Males will mate with several females, but will fight with other males during breeding season. The mating season for your tortoise will depend on the specific species, but most tortoises mate sometime in early spring. Tortoises that are housed indoors may mate at any time. The male will approach and mount the female. Mating can be awkward-looking and tortoises may appear to be fighting. Do not interfere unless one of the tortoises is being injured, and remove other tortoises from the enclosure when you see two tortoises mating. This helps to prevent fights.

    • 2

      Provide a humid area with lots of substrate for the female to lay eggs. Place four to six inches of vermiculite or peat moss in a corner of the tortoise's enclosure and mist this substrate daily with water. Most species of tortoises lay eggs seasonally whether or not they have mated. Egg laying will happen during the tortoise's normal egg-laying season, which varies between species. Most tortoise species lay eggs in late spring or early summer. Females may become restless and territorial before laying eggs. They normally dig a hole in substrate, then bury the eggs.

    • 3

      Dig up the tortoise's eggs. Be careful not to shake or turn them. Though most tortoises will lay eggs in the egg-laying area you've provided, they can lay eggs anywhere, so you may have to search the entire enclosure to find them. Some females guard their eggs for a few hours after laying, so if you notice that your female seems to be guarding a particular location in the enclosure, the eggs may be there.

    • 4

      Incubate the eggs. Place them in an egg incubator filled with moist vermiculite or peat moss. The eggs should be covered in the substrate about 3/4 of the way to the top of the eggs. This allows the hatchlings room to peck out of the top of the egg. The heat requirements of tortoise eggs vary from species to species, so check the specifications for your tortoise. Most tortoise species require incubation temperatures of 84 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Egg incubation times vary among species, but most eggs hatch in 60 to 90 days.

    • 5

      Check the eggs daily to make sure they are moist. Dry eggs will crack and die. Mist the eggs with the water mister if they are drying out. Tortoises can take several days to hatch and begin by pecking out a small hole in the shell. Hatchlings should remain in the incubator for a day. This allows them time to absorb their yolk sac before they begin eating real food.