is it possible my female greek tortoise is gravid?
by cecilia and sebastian
hello! i have had a m/f pair of greek tortoises for about a week now. the male is just over 4" and the female is exactly 5". i don't know how old they are though. the male seems more interested in basking all day than even noticing the female (which is what i would expect him to do if they were of breeding age/size), and the female is constantly pacing their pen and trying to climb out. i know the breeder i bought her from had several pairs of greeks for sale and kept them all in the same enclosure. i have let the female out to wander around my house to help her use some of her energy.
four times now i have seen her put her nose to the ground as if she is sniffing the sand (and even once my foot!), and i have searched the internet and everyone says that she is testing the temperature and humidity levels to see if they are suitable for laying her eggs in. is it possible that she could be pregnant?
i have done SO many searches on SO many search engines and the person i bought her from will NOT call me back OR respond to my emails, but i have not found ANY information that will say how old/how big greeks have to be before they can successfully mate and lay eggs.
please help! i want to provide my babies with the best possible habitat and care i can give them, and if i need to make a seperate enclosure for her that is appropriate for gravid females i will, i just want to know if it is possible for her at this age/size before i do all that work! again, i don't know how old they are, but i have read of other species that sexual maturity is more a size issue rather than age. thanks ahead of time!
p.s. i know that one male and one female of breeding age should not be housed in the same enclosure becase the male will wear out and stress the female by always wanting to mate with her, so please don't feel the need to make that the main point if you reply! i will do all that is necessary to keep them happy and safe if they are at that age, including separate cages, i just want to know if they're ready for that! thanks!