03-09-2011, 02:39 PM | #1 |
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Female Biting and Mounting
Hi All,
It has been a long time since I have posted on here, although I do regularly visit and read through the threads. However I do need some advice? I have 3 Ibera tortoises, on Adult Male, and two females which have just entered adult hood. My problem is this, since hibernation this year both females have started mounting each other and my male, although he shows no interest. But in the last two days one of the females (Rachel), has taken to following the Male (Eddie) everywhere. She rams him, mounts him and then circles him biting his legs. He doesnt seem to mind too much, but occasionally gives her a ram and walks off. Is this normal behaviour? I am going to post some pictures in the Identifcation section, as its been a few years since I had them sexed, and am now worried Rachel may be a girl. Just a picture to give some visual aid
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03-09-2011, 02:58 PM | #2 |
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Now we know why the mounting Rachel is a boy
Danny
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03-09-2011, 03:17 PM | #3 |
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We certainly do. Maybe I should change the title to "Male biting and Mounting". I also need to rename Rachel, as thats not a very manly name... any suggestions?
I am now a bit worried about potenitally getting eggs. Eddie had shown no interest in the other two so I had no worries about breeding them. But Rachel has been mounting monica. And Monica is big enough to lay eggs. What should I be looking out for, I am so unprepared for this.....?
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03-09-2011, 03:26 PM | #4 |
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Don't panic, signs of gravid behaviour are restlessness, sometimes aggression, pacing the perimeter...
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03-09-2011, 03:32 PM | #5 |
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ok thanks, I'll try not to panic. She has been staying up later than the other two, wondering the garden, but I wouldn't say she has been restless. Is there anything else I should be looking for. Or anything I should prepare, incase she does need to lay?
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03-09-2011, 04:07 PM | #6 |
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You need nest site somewhere for her to lay., I'm not the best on details but a warm sunny site, soil not too stoney, dug over but compacted slightly so she can dig but it doesn't all collapse on itself.
Soil should be slightly dampish but not wet it needs to hold itself together so she can dig a good flask shaped hole to lay. A friend of mine has a pit filled with sand which wworks well for her, and when I had a gravid female I was advised to pour a kettle full of boiling water over the nest pit first thing in the morning |
03-09-2011, 04:19 PM | #7 |
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Excellent thank you. I currently do not have an area suitable, so will fix one up ASAP. thanks for all your help so far.
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03-09-2011, 04:24 PM | #8 |
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You're very welcome
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03-09-2011, 04:29 PM | #9 |
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oh, forgot to say, pit should be at least half as deep as the tort is long, they will keep digging until their feet don't touch the ground anymore
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