How Do Slider Turtles Mate?
Getting Ready to Mate Slider turtles becoming sexually mature when they reach about 5 years old and the females grow to 5 or 6 inches in shell length. These turtles mate between the months of March and July, and must undergo a cooling off period first that begins in January and lasts from six to eight weeks. During the cooling off period, the hours they bask under a heat lamp or direct sunlight is cut down to only about 10 hours a day. Neither the males or females will eat as much during the cooling off period as they would at normal temperatures, but once they are returned to regular warm temperatures, the females must start an optimal feeding schedule. They will need to store as much energy and nutrients as possible to help them through the ordeal of carrying and laying their eggs. Courtship and Mating Some male slider turtles will try to mate during the cooling off period before breeding season actually begins, and may even be successful at it. But usually courtship and mating take
