Male red ears mature in 2 to 5 years. Mature males have long front toenails that are used in courtship when the male will swim in front of his chosen partner, stretch out his forelimbs with palms turned out so as to just touch the sides of the lady's face, and vibrate his nails against her face. This courtship dance is often seen during the warmer months. The mature male's tail is much longer and thicker than that of the female, with the anal opening beyond the rear edge of the carapace. The female's tail is smaller, with the anal opening usually at or under the rear edge of the carapace. During mating, the male will hold the female, using his long nails to grasp her carapace, and curl his tail under the female's for copulation. Breeding takes place from March to July, with nesting in June and July. The female will leave the pond and find a sunny area with sandy soil in which to construct her nest. If required, the female will travel some distance to find soil that suits her. In order to be able to dig her nest, the female may need to soften the soil. She accomplishes this with a seemingly endless supply of water from her bladder. The nest is dug with the hind legs, and is usually a jug shaped hole 2 - 4 inches deep. Four to 23 eggs are deposited, after which the nest is carefully sealed with the soil previously removed. The eggs are oval and approximately 1-3/8 long. A female may produce from 1 to 3 clutches in a single season. If not dug up and eaten by raccoons or other predators, the eggs hatch some 2 to 2-1/2 months after nesting and if cold weather has already arrived the hatchlings may over winter in the nest.