Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the Gestation period for Red Foots? Also my pen is just water garden and grass, will I need to make a special area for her to lay eggs, or will she dig through the grass? Thanks for your time.

They will dig though the grass if they have to but it is better to provide areas without it. Pick shaded places under plants etc. They seem to prefer these.
Incubation lasts from 4 1/2 months to as much as 6 months for me. Usually it's right at 4 1/2 months @ 84 to 86 degrees F.

Thanks for the info, but how long after breeding does she lay? I saw my reds hooked up on the 4th of July and was wondering when I should expect eggs?

I can't help giggle at these posts.
(not to be insulting or anything)
The method by which the sperm is delivered in these animals (turtles and tortoises) is so crude that you can see breeding all year long and not be guarenteed any eggs and then there is the female. She has to be just right to produce fertile eggs.
There are tons of 'Ifs' to produce little ones.
Ed

Exactly! They are very similar to birds. If everything is not perfect, you get nothing. They must be conditioned just like birds. Hormones, food, daylight, etc has to be just perfect.

I have no idea.
Males 'attempt' breeding all the time but that doesn't mean they ARE breeding. Actual copulation seems to be up to the female.

My females begin laying in October regardless of when they are bred. Or when the males tried to breed them.

Breeding redfoots is not like breeding snakes or lizards, you can't just put a pair together and expect fertile eggs. They seem to do best in small herds. It's almost a sure thing that you need more than one male. If yours are wild caught and you live anywhere that you need to bring them indoors part of the year. You'll either need some really big tubs of dirt or a room with a dirt floor. Or you can wait until they change their breeding cycle to adapt to our seasons. I did the latter and it took mine 7 years to start laying good eggs. Breeding Redfoots anywhere besides Florida is hard work and takes a lot of patience. And it's probably difficult in Florida also. My wife was after me for three years to sell our herd. She got tired of seeing me throw out bad eggs year after year. We have had our herd for 8 years now and had our first hatchlings last year. Was it worth it all? Yes when I looked in that nest box and saw that first hatchling I danced around the yard doing the WOO WOO thing. I hope this doesn't discourage you, but you need to understand that breeding these guys is not easy. About the gestation thing, they seem to be able to lay eggs just about any time they choose.

Tim
Southampton Herps