Little jewels The hatching of small radiated tortoises can take several days. We always leave the hatchlings in the incubator until they have completely crawled out of the egg and no too large remnants of the yolk sac are visible on the abdomen. Even if it is well-intentioned, we strongly advise against it
Radiated tortoise eggs are developmental surprises Hatching radiated tortoise eggs is incredibly exciting and requires some patience, as it is impossible to make a more certain prediction about the incubation period. Eggs in a clutch can take different lengths of time to develop (bimodal development). This variable in the incubation cycle could be an adaptation to an extremely dry habitat,
Multiple clutches are possible in a year When breeding ray tortoises, make sure that generous egg-laying areas are available to the females throughout the year, both indoors and outdoors. The substrate should consist of a mixture of compact garden soil and sand. This should definitely have a depth of at least
Successful mating is rare in Astrochelys radiata Sexually mature females exude a secretion via cloaca that attracts males roaming the territory. During the mating season, females are often pursued and harassed for hours by a male. The male jostles the female from the side and tries to make her mate.
Stimulus-driven fighters At temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, an increased humidity of 80% and in the presence of females, adult males in the territory easily get into a tournament mood. Especially dominant males jostle their conspecifics and drive away subadult animals. But if two equally strong rivals meet, it comes to a spectacular showdown.
Sexual dimorphism Adult ray turtles usually show a distinct sexual dimorphism. In captivity, sexual maturity usually occurs earlier than in the wild due to consistent, good conditions. Females become sexually mature at 15 years of age, a body size of at least 24-26 cm and a weight of at least 5 kg. Males only after 20 years, a body size from 30