Turtles are interesting and captivating creatures. Their outward appearance might not be so adorable and cute, but it’s undeniable that they are social and loves the company of their alike. Some of them look like gentle giants, but that doesn’t take away the fact that they are very social in company of other turtles and adorable as well.
This article will give you some interesting facts about turtles mating. Read on to get idea of all you need to know to mate your turtles.
- See that your pet turtles are sexually mature. A male turtle is mature at about three years of age and a female turtle matures at approximately five years of age.
- Turtles eat less during mating season; so see to it that they are fed properly before you begin mating them.
- Turtles usually mate during fall season. Therefore it is a good idea to winterize the turtles during January and February. This means that you should keep the turtles in temperature of 50-60 degree Fahrenheit for 6-8 weeks. During this time do not disturb the turtles. After the required period of time, adjust the temperature back to normal.
- The place best suited for turtle breeding is the outdoors. However you can do it indoors too by preparing a box large enough to hold 12 to 16 inches of soil at its base.
- Prepare the nesting box for your turtles by filling it with moist soil and sand up to a depth of 12-16 inches from base of the box. See that the soil is neither too moist nor too dry. You could spray the nesting box with a little water if you feel it is drying up. But be careful not to overdo it.
- Check the soil regularly. Once the eggs are laid, gently remove the eggs and mark the topmost portion with a non-toxic felt marker.
- Now prepare the incubator box. Buy a packet of vermiculite from the local pet store and mix it with water in the ratio 1:1. Take care not to make the mixture either too wet or too dry. Ideally you should maintain a 90% humidity level for the incubation medium. Place the incubation medium in an ice cream container and place the eggs upright in this. Take care to keep the point where you have marked with a felt pen on top.
- Seal the box leaving just a few openings in it. If you see any mouldy eggs, remove them immediately as the mould might be transferred to other eggs too.
- Calcifying will start in about 24 hours. The eggs will hatch in about 80- 150 days.
