how many babies does a desert tortoise have
Desert tortoise Months later, the female lays a clutch of four to eight hard-shelled eggs,[12] which have the size and shape of ping-pong balls, usually in June or July. The eggs hatch in August or September. Wild female tortoises produce up to three clutches a year depending on the climate. Their eggs incubate from 90 to 135 days;[3] some eggs may overwinter and hatch the following spring. In a laboratory experiment, temperature influenced hatching rates and hatchling gender. Incubation temperatures from 81 to 88 °F (27 to 31 °C) resulted in hatching rates exceeding 83%, while incubation at 77 °F (25 °C) resulted in a 53% hatching rate. Incubation temperatures less than 88 °F (31 °C) resulted in all-male clutches. Average incubation time decreased from 124.7 days at 77 °F to 78.2 days at 88 °F (31 °C).[13]