Pet Turtle Care: Turtle Mating

Do You Know When, How, and What to Do?

Turtle mating occurs at specific times of year, and under specific conditions. Following are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding turtle mating:

Should I have a separate enclosure for my turtles when they are going to mate?

Yes, if you have either:

• More than one male turtle per female
• Several pairs of mating turtles

One important consideration regarding turtle reproduction is that you should never allow the number of males to outnumber the females, because the males' sexual demands may result in the females' ill health. Male turtles may fight each other over a female. For this reason, the males may become injured if they are allowed to remain in the same enclosure. It is therefore advisable to allow only one mating pair per enclosure.

When is the best time for turtle mating?

Experienced turtle owners have discovered that turtles are more sexually stimulated after hibernation, which usually ends in the late spring. As an owner, you may aid your turtles to "get in the mood" for reproduction by sprinkling their outdoor housing with water using a hose, in order to simulate the rain that normally falls in springtime. The onset of longer days and warmer air temperatures will also stimulate the turtles' desire to mate.

What are the common signs that turtles are ready for mating?

Novice turtle owners may worry if they notice their turtles shoving or butting one another. This is the normal behavior of male turtles prior to reproduction, because they are genetically programmed to fight over the female. Although this behavior is expected prior to mating, it is still your responsibility, as a good turtle owner, to make sure that you separate fighting male turtles before one of them gets badly injured.

How do turtles mate?

It is typical for the male turtle to charge the female turtle when it is about to mount and start mating with her. The male may also make sounds, such as groaning or hissing. The female, however, usually appears completely normal and disinterested, like she is just resting or basking. As the mating process generally takes several hours, the female turtle may have the tendency to get so impatient that she wanders off to a different area to do something else, all the while with the male still attached to her! Many times the attached male will flip over to his back, and be dragged by the female. While a novice owner might feel that the male is being harmed, this is not the case. This is natural behavior for the turtles.

What should I know about my pet turtles regarding laying eggs?

Some novice turtle owners may be surprised to find their newly purchased female turtle is laying eggs without mating. This is due to the fact that female turtles can retain or carry sperm for periods of three or four years post mating. Thus, if you have acquired an adult female turtle, there is a possibility that your pet has already mated prior to your ownership.

What are the common signs that my pet turtle is ready to lay eggs?

The female turtle is often restless and will spend extensive time soaking in water prior to laying her eggs. She may also pace about nervously, and practice making nests. The actual egg-laying process will take several hours to complete.

What should I do to ensure that my pet turtle lays her eggs successfully?

You can help your pet turtle by making sure that her eggs are well-protected. If there are a number of turtles in the area, you should remove and incubate the eggs to keep them from being damaged. (You must never turn these eggs upside down as you remove them, as this may kill the future hatchling. Gently mark the top of the egg with a felt pen before you move them from the nest, so that you are sure to incubate the eggs right-side up. You must also make sure that the turtle has an area for nesting on dry land, so it will not lay its eggs in the water, which can be hazardous for the eggs.

Whether your pets are just in the process of fighting over the females, in the throws of actual turtle mating, or laying their eggs, it is your responsibility to monitor or watch over them to ensure their safety and health.

Pet Turtle Care: Turtle Mating - Why Does the Male Turtle Flutter Its Claws?

Turtle mating-have you ever wondered how these slow-moving and serene animals procreate?

Thanks to the substantial information that is now available regarding turtles and their anatomy, physiology, quirks and oddities, we now know quite a lot about how they mate.

The languid turtles have limbs that are comparable to those of tortoises, but the turtles' feet have elongated claws. Their long claws serve them in mounting logs in order to bask in the sun, an activity that they seem to enjoy, and which is essential to their thermoregulation. Their long claws also come in handy when they move or clamber from one place to another on land. Did you know, however, that these long claws also serve a purpose in mating?

Before the actual mating happens, male turtles will usually fight over a female. This "courtship stage" among the competing males can last up to forty-five minutes. The bigger male would normally be aggressive, and display its dominance towards the other turtles by fighting and clawing at their faces. There are also some classes of turtles, such as the Red-Eared Slider, which mate underwater. When the dominant turtle finally establishes its superiority among the other male turtles, it will then scuttle over or swim towards the female to mount her and begin mating--that is, if the female is receptive to him! If not, she may become aggressive towards him. Turtle mating ranges from ten minutes to several hours.

If the female accepts the advance of the dominant male, the male will use his long claws in a seemingly odd manner. Just prior to mounting the female, the male turtle will begin to flutter his claws in a vibrating motion on the female's face. Sometimes the turtle will also do the same waving gesture on the female's head. Generally, it is the back side of its claws that the male turtle uses during this behavior. A turtle owner, who had personally witnessed this behavior, added that after the male had asserted his dominance over the other males, his biggest male turtle began stroking the female's nose using its claws. Within minutes, the female turtle had allowed the male turtle to mount her for mating.

Some experts claim that male turtles do this in order to stimulate the female for mating, while others state that this behavior is the male's natural manifestation of excitement.