Nature

Laying Turtle Eggs At La Vanille Nature Park

LA VANILLE NATURE PARK, RIVIERE DES ANGUILLES, MAURITIUS – A caring tortoise mum buries her laid eggs in a hole to protect them from predators. The sight was recorded at La Vanille Nature Park in the city of Riviere des Anguilles in Mauritius and was shared by staff on 8th June. The first video shows how an Aldabra tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) that will soon become a mother covers her newly laid eggs to keep them at the optimum temperature and protect them from dangers. The second video shows how the park team collect all clutches for artificial incubation for the following reason “To have better control and to protect them from predators like rats and mongooses. If ever you leave the eggs in the wild, after fully hatching the baby tortoises will wait several weeks until heavy rains soften the soil sufficiently for them to dig their way out. If the rains do not come or too much rain floods the nest, they may not escape at all.”

La Vanille Nature Park told Clipzilla: “The Aldabra tortoise is one of the world’s largest species and one of the longest living animal on the planet. Their lifespan is estimated to be more than 100 years.” Adding “The females will lay between 9 to 25 eggs of 5 centimetres (2 inches) in diameter in a shallow dry nest. Usually between May and July. Normally less than half of the eggs are fertile. The incubation period is temperature-dependent.”

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