REPRODUCTION AND HATCHLINGS

MATING BEHAVIOR

lay 12 or more. Usual is 6-10. Eggs are hard-shelled, slightly oblong, dull white, and almost the size of ping-pong balls. After laying, the female carefully covers eggs using her hind legs. Sometimes she remains as protection, but she soon walks away and shows no further interest in the nest or the hatchlings.

If your tortoise digs several partial nest holes and does not lay eggs, the soil may be too hard or she may be egg-bound. Take her to the vet for X-rays and treatment.


Figure 31. This yearling hatched from a
ping-pong sized egg.

HATCHLINGS

Hatching

Hatching occurs between late August and early October. After cracking the egg, the 2" hatchling usually remains under­ground for a few days. During this time the yolk sac that protrudes from the lower shell shrinks and dries within the safety of the nest. By the time you see the hatch­ling walking about, there should be only a slightly raised “belly button” where the yolk sac was.

The Desert Tortoise is the
Nevada state reptile


The almost boneless shell is very soft, yet the hatchling is ready to live outdoors on its own without parental care. The des­ert tortoise is adapted to the desert climate. Your hatchling, too, should live outside to develop properly. If you create a good outdoor habitat for your hatchlings, they should thrive.

Hazards Unique to Hatchlings

If you plan to keep any hatchlings, prepare your yard for them before Au­gust. The babies will need adequate shelter from the heat as soon as they hatch. Hatch­lings will use the entire yard, so reconsider possible hazards in terms of the small size of hatchlings. See Eliminate Hazards, Page 7.

Escape. Tortoises will stand on their hind legs to get through cracks.

Vertical drops greater than the tortoise is long, like tree wells and grass edges, may cause the tortoise to tip over.

Grass. Hatchlings have a hard time walking on grass and may become exhausted and stranded on the lawn. Death from overheating may soon follow. To give small tortoises easy access to growing food, water, and their burrows, make sure there is a con­tinuous path of bare soil connecting these basic needs.


Figure 32. Hatchlings are irresistible but
difficult to raise properly. One female
may lay 20 eggs each year.

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