Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if anyone has had spotteds breed in jan, Iv'e been watching my male chase my female around and copulate with her, is there any special things I should feed her to help egg development? do you think they would be fertile, temps are about about 60 to 65, also how should I make her a nesting site. thanks for your help
Wayne

I can't really help you with the breeding season of spotteds, as I have yet to even have one lol. But if you feel the mating was successful, I'd just feed her the normal diet but with added calcium, depending on what she eats of course. You can try gutloading her food items with calci-powder, which is available in many brands and forms these days.

With the nesting site, when breeding turtles, I often just keep them in large tubs, kiddie pools or outside ponds. A kiddy pool that is a couple feet high would work well in your case. Make half of the kiddie pool filled with a sand/soil mix, and the other half with water, you can create the water area with a rubbermaid container inside the kiddy pool filled with water, which will keep the land from flowing in the water and you can clean the water easier.

I hope she produces lots of eggs.
Michael
Michael's Place

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I am sure you could breed them now. I am starting to cycle my males and females in breeding groups now. I am starting now because my wife and I are expecting a baby in the spring and free time will be in short supply. I already have one "dumb luck" clutch that I got in DECEMBER! So far they look viable.
I keep my females in waterland tubs. The land part I have soil from my yard with a 1.5 inch layer of sand covering the soil. This is so when my females lay eggs I can find them with ease. Last year I had a brain fart and let my females lay eggs in potting soil and I think the fertilizer killed the eggs.
Hope this helps,
Tom

Wow that sucks, ok Wayne forget about what I said about potting soil, I've never had any problems with it though. Spottedturtleman, you going to sell any of those babies?
Michael
Michael's Place

-----
Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

I recommend cycling them with at least a two month hibernation. I've breed spotteds for over a decade. They will wake up in the middle of winter, especially a warm spell, and start breeding if the warm spell is long enough. To ensure the maxiumum number of fertil eggs and sperm, I would hibernate them longer.

I was thinking of getting the waterland tubs for my spotteds. How do you find it working? Do they regularily go to the landing area and is it sufficient?

Mark

I think waterland tubs were made for spotteds. My spotties are doing great and they have been in the tubs for almost three years. They are also alot less expensive then they once were. I have 6 small and two large. I am only looking to trade any hatchling I have for new bloodlines for now herperhelmz.