Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone know how dependable temp sexing is? I apologize if this question has already been asked.

It depends on what tortoise you are asking about.Some are time tested,others are still being tweeked.To be a 100% sure one must look at the sexual dimorphic trates plus endoscope the babies to find gonads.Or in some hard to sex tortoise's like Manouri you must look for the one that does this!

Thanks for the response. I was looking into getting a young indian or SL star. It's a pretty big investment in both time and money to find out several years later that you need to call your little Pebbles Bam Bam. Any idea how accurate temp sexing stars is? Incubation temp 88-89. Cool pic by the way. Thanks for sharing.

Hi. In both races of G. elegans, temperature sexing is quite reliable. In my experience (roughly 250 babies hatched) there is a better than 98% probability that babies incubated at 89F will be females, while babies incubated at 84F will be males. Of course, it is very helpful if you know and trust the breeder and/or seller of the animal to be telling you the truth rather than just telling you what you want to hear to make a sale, which unfortunately does occur from time to time.

WOW! Awesome herd!
O.K, I feel better about the temp sex part, but you bring up some really good points about trusting the seller. Oh well, hopefully I'll find some trusty source. Thanks for the info.

So Vic...
Manouria emys are genetic, or is it still unk?
Ron

Ron,There has only been one TDS study that only used seven subjects backed up with gonad inspection.I am using the same temps but would have to wait around 3-4 yrs to be sure.Its not ectched in stone yet.For example the first year I thought I made males because their tails were longer than they had been in the past.I was sure of it!Before the years end it became apparent that I had females with longer tails than what I thought was normal,but they were in fact females.As it stands now the Atlanta Zoo study was 83f males,above that females.Cool dudes hot chicks.I think i'm getting some females in my 83F group.84F will make both ,high on females.Next year I'll try 81F.One thing I've learned is the lower you go the lower the percentage of hatching.Vic

is that pile that the tortoise is sitting on a nest mound?

if so, how does she make it? does she just keep pushing yard debris into the pile like a little bulldozer until it seems correct to her?

also, if you're written this before, i apologize, but i don't remember whether you've ever mentioned how they regard their offspring. does she show any interest in the hatchlings at all, or does she disregard them once they hatch?

i find it so amazing how you've described their defensiveness of the nests, especially since they are one of (if not the?) oldest chelonians...

That nest was made by that tortoise.They "backsweep" meaning they use their FRONT legs and walk backwards sweeping the ground litter into a mound.The area they sweep can be 3-400 sf.Some spend 6 weeks or more, some three days.Sometimes they will continue to work the nest after I take the eggs.They do defend the nest.I've seen them turn over males that come around,rolling them very far from the nest with continued raming.They leave the nest anywhere from one day to two weeks after laing the eggs.I take the eggs out but always wondered what they would do if they hatched in the nest.I have put hatching eggs in a nest to see what the "parents" would do,if they would act like Crocs.They were not attracted to the nest site where I placed the hatching tortoises.I was kinda of nervice about...well...squash!

Thats my *ya learn somthing new everyday* for today. I love your Torts man. All those eggs!!!! crazy! Must take an hour or two to feed all them mouths.

Its the labor of love thing.It never stops,I could do it in my sleep.They eat a ton at this time of year and its hard and costly to find Collard greens this time of year.Its like having a car payment.A 25 pound bag of Mazuri gives everyone one dubble handfull for 1 days feeding.Cases of squash weekly twelve bunches of greens every third day is just some of the chow dished out here.That flood I just went through,took out 100% of all the grasses in all but one enclosure.I have big mud turtles now.I just started re-seeding today.Next,fix the nine ponds that are messed up and full of mud.I've fixed the walls and got most back where they are suppose to be.Being around them while trying to build is a hoot.They mob me and I cant hammer or saw wood and fix stuff with them around,but you just have to deal,their so funny about any human activity.Then theres all the baby's! I'd be lost without them,or gitt'in in trubble.At least I dodged the bullit with Ike.Tomorrow will be bad for a bunch of folks. Its worth it.They were good to me this year.Vic

fascinating! thanks for sharing!

(i had an entertainingly cartoonish mental image of her rolling a male away from her nest...)

i wonder whether the more ancient, extinct species kept watching them after they hatched, like crocodilians and dinosaurs? maybe the mound defending is a leftover behavior from a time when they were more attentive parents?

i don't imagine that the hatchlings make any noise when emerging from the egg, or do they? that's a lot of nest for a tiny tort to dig through. was thinking of how baby crocs squeak for ma croc to help dig 'em out.

Picture the cartoonish look on the babies face when they see the mountain they have to make there way down.I keep reading everything I can find on these guys.There trully awesome.My 2 yr old loves the pics and *pats* them.

Thanks for the info Vic...
I have been working on aquiring a house with acerage for somtime now. I had an offer in but it fell through, oh well back to the DB.
For a very long time I have wanted to keep one of the great tortoise species, and have narrowed it to Manouria emys (I am in Palm Beach County).
I am still undecided on the browns or blacks.
If I ever get settled and out of this apartment you'll be the first guy I call.
Thanks,
Ron

Thanks,They both have the same nesting behavior. They reach breeding size MUCH faster in S.Fl.What ever you buy make sure it has LOTS of shade trees.They need a upper cantapee and lower shade.Direct Sun is their biggest killer.Most places where they live in the wild is almost compleatly covered.95% in some cases.Throw a sprinkler hose up into one of the trees and "instant Asia."Vic