Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can those from the same genus ( overall appearance closely represent each other )interbreed with each other and how will the offspring look like

For example
Between Indotestudo elongata - Elongated Tortoise
and Indotestudo forstenii - Forsten's Tortoise

Between Manouria emys emys - Burmese Brown Tortoise
and Manouria emys phayrei - Burmese Black Tortoise

Many thanks !!
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CHEERS

M.e.emys X M.e.phayrei will breed and produce breedable offspring.They are intergrades that could be a mix of both or look like one or the other.It will show up in future breedings.Other than the pectoral scute which is not reliable all the time the only clue is seeing the hatchlings.phayrei hatch a light brown with black marginals.Emys emys are born a very light silver gray/black skin with some white toenails.These colors change in a few months on the emys emys and longer for phayrei.They become darker therefore harder to tell apart as babies.If the clutch of hatchlings are all or part a dark gray you might have intergrades.There are some out there for sale every year being sold as phayrei.These are known to grow at a much slower rate than normal phayrei because they are from a sibling mating.Ask the seller what color they were when born or ask for pics.To date there is no evadence of a natural occuring intergrade,although their range crosses it seems likely,but no scientific fact has been published.Adult phayrei have a overhanging upper mandable(beak) in old adults.M.e.e beaks are almost even,top and bottom.Vic

Thanks for the very detailed information on emys X phayrei intergrade !!
Now I know I should keep all my sp clear of each other !!! As I have both sp mention by you ie M.e.emys and M.e.phayrei

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CHEERS

Cool pic!Boy do they love bananna.Your phayrei females can lay eggs at 38-40 lbs.Emys emys around 20 lbs.(exceptions are a possable small race of Me.e.)Males of both will start mounting at an early age with no results of course,but if it gos on repeatedly it will stress out the female and ware down her shell.You want this area of the carapace to be thick for later in life to handle a heavy male and the resulting friction when the time is right.Just to keep you confused at some point they will mount each other reguardless of sex in any combination.Going so far as to overturn and bite.Alfa females will even make the same sound males make when breeding.This will really mess with your mind,as they never vocalize like this when they are being bred,or any other time,other than this odd agression when they mimic a male vocalization. Vic M