Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am just curious to see what others are feeding their mouhotiis. Also anyone who has successfully bred them, where in you enclosures, most commonly, have you found their eggs? Thanks.

I feed mine earthworms, bananas, strawberries, cantalope, mango, papaya, monkey chow, lean ground beef, befheart, etc.,

I find eggs in nests dug down deep in the substrate (sphagnum peat moss) just about everywhere in the enclosure. They like to climb so I included lots of pieces of driftwood in their enclosure (6'x 2'x 3').

In the wild, Pyidea mouhotti is one of the few turtles that actually lays its eggs in trees. The female carefully inspects the bases of individual trees and selects one that she favors. Then she begins her slow, difficult climb up the tree until she is high up in the forest canopy. Once there, she rests awhile, then calls to the male by emitting a series of low-pitched grunts. The waiting males respond by converging at the base of the tree where they challenge each other with open mouthed-displays and hisses, and occasionally biting, until only one male remains at the base of the tree. Victorius, he has won the right to reproduce; he then begins dragging twigs, moss and other detritus from the forest floor up the tree to the waiting female, who creates a nest out of the materials brought by the male. The eggs (usually 4-6 in a clutch) are deposited in the nest. Once this is accomplished, both the male and female make their way back down to the ground.

Have you been able to hatch any of the eggs? If so, what did you get the hatchlings to eat? Where did you find that information on them climbing trees? I find that interesting and would be interested in your sources. Thank you for your response.

Ryan

That description of wild nesting behavior is a big brown stinking load of crap.

These guys are breed in captivity. I don't know the specifics but I'll see what I can dig up over the next couple of days and post later...unless someone else answers with specifics in the meantime.

:

that's what I think too, but I am not one to discount anyone's information until they are unable to provide sources.

Ryan

Yeah, right. I think you've been smoking something, Captain Salty.

I feed my mouhotii fruit, romaine lettuce, and any bugs or worms I can find. He especially likes Jerusalem crickets, which most people call potato bugs. This turtle was given to me by a friend who found the turtle living in his backyard when he moved into a new house. The neighbors say the previous owners had it for at least 3 years living in their backyard. The weird thing is, they apparently never fed it or gave it water. It lived in their backyard for 3 years, even through the winter without being given food, water, or any artificial heat at all. According to what I have read about them on the internet, that should not be possible because they are from tropical southeast Asia and don't hibernate. My friend told me it stayed burried in the ground most of the time and he never even saw it until about 6 months after they moved in. He never fed it or gave it water either.

I am not sure but I think some may be able to depending on how far north they were found. Some please correct me on this if I am wrong.

Its not a question of what I am feeding them, it's more of a question of what I don't feed them. They eat anything alive, fruits and veggies.

To induce mine to breed, I cool them to around 50F for a short period. I have been lucky to have my females lay in the nesting box I provide them. I have heard of other keepers finding eggs almost everywhere. I was lucky enough to get reliable breeding information from a gentleman in germany.

Steve

I got someone from Germany to send me an article written in the Scientific Journal "Salamandra" about them but haven't had time to translate it. I am not fluent in German but did take 3 years of it in high school, so if anyone is fluent I would be willing to send a copy snailmail or scan it and send it email. From my searches a lot of people reference it for mouhotii husbandry. I wonder if that gentleman you spoke with there is the same I spoke with.

Ryan

What was his name? An easier way to go about it is find an online translator. The free translations are ok, but with german as well as many other languages, not everything translates to perfect english, but it will help you out quite a bit. By the way captain salty, we missed you at daytona, actually, I have yet to meet you but would be interested in sharing breeding info on these guys.

Steve

His name was Wolfgang. I do not know a last name. I corresponded with him through the Asian Turtle Crises List.

Ryan

Apparently I wasn't missed at Daytona enought to have my phone call returned when I called Andy on Saturday!! Or for the 5 days following that.

Maybe I've been moved down to the "B" friend list, to make room for you and Shawn at the top!! I guess Andy will never learn!!!

Gee Pack,if you turned your phone on maybe we'd talk more.Seems to me there was a badge with your name on it.

I also fedmine hard-boiled eggs (with the shell).They devoured it.