how old are yellow belly turtles when they begin to reproduce?

Question

i recently brought 2 yellow belly turtles and iv noticed what i believe to be a mating dance, the larger 1 of teh 2 (being around twice the size) shakes its hands either side of the others head. is this a mating dance? and if so, should i expect eggs? and what do they look like? what conditions do i need for hatching to be sucessful? i have no idea how old they are as the pet shop didnt no, they are still only around 2-3 inches long though. they are on a diet of pellets, fish and the odd bit of fruit. any comments and answers are muchly appreciated. thanks

Answer 1

They won't successfully reproduce until they hit about 4"- so you've got some time.

You can learn about breeding them at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com or http://www.redearslider.com (Red-ears are a closely related species with almost identical cares).

Answer 2

it becomes fat and dark green or white mabe about 21