Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had 2 turtles now for a bout 2 years. I was thinking about breeding them but i cant seem to find alot of info on the internet. How old do the turtles have to be and how easy is it to breed them. When the female does lay the eggs what do you do with them do you put them in an incubator or do you leave them. Just a few questions that i havent been able to find good answers to. Can someone please help me?

Thank You,
Eric

Breeding questions don't come up here often because many of us feel strongly against breeding our RES...especially due to the gross overpopulation of hatchlings in the pet trade that are not properly cared for and quickly die. Also, some locations have ordinances against the breeding of turtles, because of population/salmonella concerns and the "4 Inch Rule" for commercial sale. Please do some research into local laws, and just like with other animals, make sure you can either find them all quality homes, or can handle housing them yourself, long before you encourage their breeding.

Responses about sexual maturity can vary...some say they need to be at least 3-4 years old, others go by specific size, approx. 5". I believe females mature quicker than males, which makes sense considering females tend to grow quicker and larger. The female, once gravid, will need access to an appropriate soil area for her to deposit her clutch of eggs. If they are deposited in water, most likely they will not be salvagable. Eggs will then need to be kept in an incubator. (Many good herp stores carry decent ones at reasonable prices.)Some breeding pairs will be very cranky with each other if they don't have adequate space.

I do not have a red ear slider i have western painted turtles. I posted it in here because the other forus wherent very active. I will make sure to check out local laws and such before trying to breed. Im not sure if i even want to i was just thinking about it. Thank you for the responce!