At this temperature both male and female offspring occurs. So far, more females than males have been born. A combination of a yellow female and a red male always yielded red offspring. Two females that had been hatched from this combination also produced a red hatchling, when combined with a red male. The colour red appears to be a dominant factor in G. carbonaria .
Hatchlings receive the same diet as the adult specimens.
The adults are being kept on wood chips. The juveniles are housed on a bedding consisting of wood shavings. In order to prevent pyramiding, the soil material is sprayed twice weekly. Authors of captive breeding reports on tortoises frequently argue that eggs that did not hatch were not fertile. However, it is very hard to determine the difference between an egg being unfertile, and other causes of failing development.