Tortoise thought to be male for 41 years has laid eggs
The pet called 'Speedy' always displayed ''male tendencies" including head butting shoes and mounting various objects.
But owner Jill Mancino, 84, was stunned when after a play date with a friend's male tortoise Speedy started digging holes in the garden.
And a vet trip revealed the Greek spur-thighed tortoise was in fact female and pregnant with four eggs.
Speedy the tortoise laying eggs (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS)
Jill from Undy in Monmouthshire, Wales said: "He had a slightly concave under shell and in the spring during the matting season he would chase us around the garden and headbutt our shoes as you see them doing in the wild when they are trying to arouse a female.
"He would bite our shoes and and mounting various objects in the garden.
''We just assumed he was a male with male tendencies and we thought that all along until I took him to the vet because for a few days he did not want to eat and would stay in one place on the lawn scratching with his front legs and with his back legs.
"I said jokingly to my husband 'I think he could be egg-bound' but really I thought he may be constipated or swallowed a stone that got stuck."
Speedy the tortoise nesting in Undy, Monmouthshire (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS)
Speedy was purchased in 1984 - the last year that tortoises were allowed to being bought in pet shops, explained Jill.
In over 40 years Jill and her husband never questioned Speedy's gender.
But in May they rushed Speedy to the vet after she began acting differently.
The vets took an X-ray of her and it revealed four eggs inside.
"I was in total shock. I couldn't believe it," said Jill.
Speedy with her owner Jill (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS)
"By the time I got home he laid two eggs and then he laid two more when I laid him out in the garden."
Jill said she buried all four eggs in a large flower pot covered by a plastic box to protect them.
She explained that they had looked after their friend's male tortoise while they were on holiday last summer.
Jill said: "We put them together quite happily.
''He gave a lot of attention to Speedy and Speedy wasn't too happy about that so in the end I separated them.
"Whether they did actually mate I really can't say but apparently sperm can last up to three years.
"Apparently tortoises can lay eggs without having to be fertilized by a male.
'
'But why it is taking so long all those years before she has produced eggs I don't know."
She said the vet suggested the male's presence may have "stimulated her hormones" to lay eggs.
They have to wait eight to 10 weeks for the eggs to incubate to see if any baby tortoises will hatch.
"I don't think we will keep the tortoises because we are quite elderly now and Speedy is going to outlive us I think so we wouldn't be able to look after the little ones," said Jill.
"I have had a few people saying that they would like one if eggs should hatch."
Despite the surprising discovery, Jill added that Speedy is still displaying male tendencies.
"He is still head butting my shoes when I was hanging the washing up this morning.
"Maybe he is a very modern tortoise and he is transitioning or something. He is a crazy mixed up tortoise," she concluded.
Greek spur-thighed tortoises usually live for at least 50 years, if not reaching 80 to 100 years old.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
9 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Tortoise thought to be male for 41 years has laid eggs
The pet called 'Speedy' always displayed ''male tendencies" including head butting shoes and mounting various objects. But owner Jill Mancino, 84, was stunned when after a play date with a friend's male tortoise Speedy started digging holes in the garden. And a vet trip revealed the Greek spur-thighed tortoise was in fact female and pregnant with four eggs. Speedy the tortoise laying eggs (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS) Jill from Undy in Monmouthshire, Wales said: "He had a slightly concave under shell and in the spring during the matting season he would chase us around the garden and headbutt our shoes as you see them doing in the wild when they are trying to arouse a female. "He would bite our shoes and and mounting various objects in the garden. ''We just assumed he was a male with male tendencies and we thought that all along until I took him to the vet because for a few days he did not want to eat and would stay in one place on the lawn scratching with his front legs and with his back legs. "I said jokingly to my husband 'I think he could be egg-bound' but really I thought he may be constipated or swallowed a stone that got stuck." Speedy the tortoise nesting in Undy, Monmouthshire (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS) Speedy was purchased in 1984 - the last year that tortoises were allowed to being bought in pet shops, explained Jill. In over 40 years Jill and her husband never questioned Speedy's gender. But in May they rushed Speedy to the vet after she began acting differently. The vets took an X-ray of her and it revealed four eggs inside. "I was in total shock. I couldn't believe it," said Jill. Speedy with her owner Jill (Image: Jill Mancino / SWNS) "By the time I got home he laid two eggs and then he laid two more when I laid him out in the garden." Jill said she buried all four eggs in a large flower pot covered by a plastic box to protect them. She explained that they had looked after their friend's male tortoise while they were on holiday last summer. Jill said: "We put them together quite happily. ''He gave a lot of attention to Speedy and Speedy wasn't too happy about that so in the end I separated them. "Whether they did actually mate I really can't say but apparently sperm can last up to three years. "Apparently tortoises can lay eggs without having to be fertilized by a male. ' 'But why it is taking so long all those years before she has produced eggs I don't know." She said the vet suggested the male's presence may have "stimulated her hormones" to lay eggs. They have to wait eight to 10 weeks for the eggs to incubate to see if any baby tortoises will hatch. "I don't think we will keep the tortoises because we are quite elderly now and Speedy is going to outlive us I think so we wouldn't be able to look after the little ones," said Jill. "I have had a few people saying that they would like one if eggs should hatch." Despite the surprising discovery, Jill added that Speedy is still displaying male tendencies. "He is still head butting my shoes when I was hanging the washing up this morning. "Maybe he is a very modern tortoise and he is transitioning or something. He is a crazy mixed up tortoise," she concluded. Greek spur-thighed tortoises usually live for at least 50 years, if not reaching 80 to 100 years old.
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Six-piece plant set worth £80 that's ideal for new gardeners gets slashed by 50%
Whether you're an experienced gardener or a green-thumbed beginner, this six-piece collection is a great addition to your garden, allotment or patio - and right now it's half-price Calling all gardeners looking to expand their current plants and flowers, this six-piece set is an absolute bargain as it plummets to half price. Normally, this Hebes collection would retail for £79.95, but is now up for grabs for the reduced price of £39.95 while this Gardening Express deal lasts. This impressive collection of hardy evergreen Hebes will add a variety of lovely colours and textures to your garden all year round. They require minimal maintenance while offering a maximum impact on your outdoor space. Featuring a random mix of six plants, this is an unnamed selection of superb hardy varieties. Hebes are touted as the ultimate foliage plant, growing in uniform, compact and colourful arrays. These wonderful shrubs are also evergreen, so they keep their spectacular foliage all year, giving your garden a bright and impressive flair from the first day of the year to the last. Named after the Greek Goddess of youth, Hebes plants will add a breath of fresh air to any garden, patio or allotment with their vibrant colours and spectacular growth. Hebes are loved for their low-growing domes of densely packed leaves, ensuring they don't take up too much room, block natural light or grow wild. They are excellent for providing contrast and texture in a border of your garden, but they will also thrive in patio containers. Hebes are virtually maintenance-free evergreen shrubs, fully frost hardy and tolerant of drought, shade, sun and poor soil, so they are more than comfortable in the UK's turbulent climate. They are also very slow-growing, meaning you can plant them pretty much anywhere and just leave them to be. All Hebes in this collection complement each other and are supplied as strong healthy plants in approx. 1.5-2.5 litre containers. All you have to do is simply plant and stand back, making this set the new best friend of new or inexperienced gardeners. Hebe Heartbreaker Hebe Emerald Green Globe Hebe Sapphire Hebe Purple Hebe albicans Red Edge Hebe Vernicosa Hebe Pewter Dome For alternative Hebe collections to shop, check out this Pack x12 Hebes 'Mixed Varieties' Garden Plug Plants on Amazon for £14.95. Elsewhere, you can find this Evergreen Shrub Collection from You Garden, where prices start at £19.99. If you're considering something a bit different, Sarah Raven has this All Summer Long Pot Collection for £18.48.
Edinburgh Live
18 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
The mysterious Edinburgh secret society with a 'temple to the supernatural'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Not to be confused with the far right Greek political party, this Golden Dawn was a late 19th century occult order with a similar structure to the Freemasons and boasted influential figures like W.B Yeats, Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle among its members. Initially established in London, the Amen-Ra Temple was founded in Edinburgh in 1893, possibly because of the city's history as a hotbed of spiritualism. It was founded by John William Brodie-Innes, a lawyer who had risen up the ranks while practicing in London. He had already written extensively on occultism, although he remained an active member of the High Church, when he joined the Order with the Isis-Urania Temple as a Neophyte, the lowest level, in 1890. It would only take him three years to establish a temple of his own, where he took one of the highest positions in the Order of the Golden Dawn - Imperator. READ MORE - Edinburgh woman sues charity and earns £8k compensation payout over 'holiday row' READ MORE - When Edinburgh's worst-rated hotel was city's poshest and celebrities flocked Hermeticism is a school of philosophical thought based on the supposed writings of the apocryphal Ancient Greek figure Hermes Trimestigus, with the idea that certain teachings are only passed down to the chosen few. In this case it was Anna Sprengel, a German countess whose identity was 'revealed' to one of the founders of the Order, Freemason William Westcott, through alleged ancient manuscripts. The two corresponded by letter to establish the rituals of the Order, although the Order would later claim that she and the other 'Secret Chiefs' of the Order communicated with the lower levels psychically. There is, in fact, no evidence to suggest that Sprengel even existed. The exact details of the Golden Dawn's philosophies are hard to unpick - partly because the order was so clouded in secrecy that little concrete detail was ever available to outsiders, and partly because what is known is couched in impenetrable, official Edinburgh temple was named after the Egyptian sun god - Egyptian and Ancient Greek mythology appear to have formed the basis of the Orders beliefs and worship along with astrology, tarot and alchemy. It was something of a fad during the late Victorian period, where scientific advancements were counterbalanced by an increasing interest in the supernatural. Seances had become popular entertainment for people at all levels of society, Dracula would be published in 1897 and one of the Golden Dawn's most influential members, Pamela Colman Smith, would go on to design the archetypal Rider-Waite tarot deck. Society was essentially going through its goth phase. While similar organisations like the Freemasons were men-only, the Golden Dawn was progressive in the sense that it was open to women. There were 48 people initiated into the Amen-Ra Temple between 1893 and 1897 - 28 men and 20 women, including mother and daughter Emily and Edith Drummond. They were from a wealthy background, and moved into the 'inner Second Order' - a more elite club within a club. They both wrote and published extensively on occultism at a time when women lacked similar access in traditional or academic media. It must have been appealing for intelligent women to have their thoughts and research taken seriously, even if said research does raise a few eyebrows. The Golden Dawn was linked to a number of scandals, partly thanks to the heavy involvement of Aleister Crowley, who is often considered the founder of modern Satanism. Westcott, despite helping found the Order, resigned abruptly in 1897 after his double life came to public attention. In a move worthy of a Victorian prequel to The Thick of It, he left confidential occult documents in the back of a hansom cab. Given the choice between stepping away from the Order or giving up his high profile and lucrative career as a coroner, he chose the latter. Brodie-Innes, on the other hand, stayed loyal to the Order and eventually became its president. He published several novels about witchcraft and magic, including The Devil's Mistress , about the real life alleged Scottish witch Isobel Gowdie. It's unclear exactly where the Edinburgh temple was based - unlike the Freemasons, we do not have a public record of the society's history - but a diluted version of the Order still exists today. Perhaps they still practice in Edinburgh...
