Breeding Turtles

IMPORTANT:   If you have Red Eared Sliders (the most common breed of aquatic turtle pets), it is really best NOT to breed them.  They are so over bred as it is. Really, we have a major overpopulation problem with this breed already.  Many people are dumping them off in rivers, and they are either dying for a lack of survival skills, or they are driving out all the local native turtle breeds (as they are an extremely competitive breed and usually take over wherever they live).   So in the case of Red Eared sliders, please leave the breeding to the turtle farms and pro breeders.  They are so inexpensive, you can always find babies if you want them.   

But for other breeds…

If you are planning on breeding your male and female aquatic turtles together, here are some great tips that will help you to be more successful.  

Sexual Maturity
 

First, you should of course be certain that you have a male and a female, and they are both sexually mature (they should be at least adult size).  Many smaller aquatic breeds can take 3 years for the males, and 5 years for the females, to reach sexual maturity.  Each breed is slightly different in this, so be sure to Google your breed for information on when they reach sexual maturity.  Also be aware that sexual maturity often depends more on size than on age.   

Preparing Turtles For Breeding
 

For more successful breeding, you should prepare your turtles by mimicking the temperature change that happens in nature before breeding season.   So keep turtles between 50 and 60 degrees F, for 6 to 8 weeks for water turtles, and 8 to 12 weeks for box turtles.   

During this time, you can offer them food, but they probably will eat very little, if at all.  

After this, return your turtles to their normal temperatures.  Feed them well at this time, with a good quality store-bought food, calcium, basking time under the UV lights, leafy greens, etc.  

Let your sexually mature male and female turtles live together, in a large, roomy tank.  You will need to be patient at this time, and just let nature take its course.   

The Mating Dance

When turtles are about to mate, the male will get in front of the female, facing her, and wiggle or flicker his front claws in her face.  This is their mating dance, and it demonstrates to the female that he is a good candidate for mating.   I she also wants to mate, she may do the same thing in return, or she may just move to the bottom of the tank to prepare for the male to mount her.

Try to keep the water shallow enough so that the female can have her feet on the bottom of the tank, and still get her nose out of the water to breathe.   Sometimes during mating, the male gets so concentrated, he forgets that the female needs to breathe.  

The mating or courting dance can last up to an hour.   But the actual act of mating is usually only 10 or 15 minutes.   

Mating
 

When they are ready to mate, the male will get on the female’s back from behind.  He will insert his penis (coming from the opening under his tail) into the vaginal opening under the female’s tail.    

After they are done, their rear ends may remain stuck together for a while.   Don’t be alarmed, this is natural.   It also happens with other animals, like dogs.  This is because the males penis grows so large during the act of mating, that it gets stuck in the vagina of the female.  

DO NOT try to pull them apart during this time, you could seriously hurt them.   Just be patient, they will naturally separate on their own.  

After they separate, you may see that the male’s penis is still erected.   It will look like a large, flower-shaped mass growing out from under his tail.  In many breeds, it can be dark colored or even black.   

Gender Ratio
 

If you have many turtles, try to keep more males in the tank than females during mating.   Also keep the males separated.   During this time, the males can put too many demands on the females, and their health can suffer.   Also the males may fight with each other.  

For information on females laying eggs, and how to care for turtle eggs, please see my “Eggs And Nesting” page.