# Maybe twins?



## JourneyN15 (Nov 13, 2015)

Here's that different-looking 3rd Redfoot egg. I think I might be looking at twins?? This is day 45 of incubation.
Anyone else candled and seen two areas of development? Any thoughts? I appreciate this forum!


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Nov 13, 2015)

That does look like two.
Would it even be possible for them to live and hatch?


----------



## Anyfoot (Nov 13, 2015)

JourneyN15 said:


> Here's that different-looking 3rd Redfoot egg. I think I might be looking at twins?? This is day 45 of incubation.
> Anyone else candled and seen two areas of development? Any thoughts? I appreciate this forum!
> View attachment 155536


@N2TORTS may have some input.


----------



## JourneyN15 (Nov 13, 2015)

I don't know @ZEROPILOT . These will be my first hatchlings if all goes well. I did read on this forum about Cherry Head triplets that hatched and did well. I'll check these in a couple of weeks and post another picture.


----------



## Lyn W (Nov 13, 2015)

There was a good thread recently by HermanniChris about successfully separating twins that hatched, I will see if I can find it.


----------



## Lyn W (Nov 13, 2015)

Here it is
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/separating-tortoise-twins.130069/


----------



## JourneyN15 (Nov 13, 2015)

Thank you so much, Lyn W!


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Nov 13, 2015)

So cool.
Hatching eggs is still something I haven't done yet.
I've got the tortoises and two incubators.


----------



## Lyn W (Nov 13, 2015)

ZEROPILOT said:


> So cool.
> Hatching eggs is still something I haven't done yet.
> I've got the tortoises and two incubators.



Maybe when you retire Ed?


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Nov 13, 2015)

Yes. Everything will be perfect as soon as I retire.
Thanks for the encouragement.


----------



## Lyn W (Nov 13, 2015)

JourneyN15 said:


> Thank you so much, Lyn W!


Your welcome - HermanniChris will be your man should you have a similar problem.


----------



## JourneyN15 (Nov 14, 2015)

Looks like you have a very nice Redfoot group @ZEROPILOT . I'm sure you'll need BOTH incubators! I'll be watching for that thread!


----------



## Anyfoot (Nov 20, 2015)

JourneyN15 said:


> Looks like you have a very nice Redfoot group @ZEROPILOT . I'm sure you'll need BOTH incubators! I'll be watching for that thread!


Hi, do you have an up to date candling photo. I was just curious if 1 wk on showed any difference. I don't want to encourage you to keep candling though, so if not its fine.


----------



## JourneyN15 (Nov 20, 2015)

Hey! I actually do, and would like to know what you (ya'll) think. My female gave me two more eggs on Monday so I've been in the incubator. I think the first photo is the one I posted last week. And the next ones are small changes. I don't have the experience to say what's going although I'd love to know! lol Thanks for checking @Anyfoot


----------



## Anyfoot (Nov 20, 2015)

JourneyN15 said:


> Hey! I actually do, and would like to know what you (ya'll) think. My female gave me two more eggs on Monday so I've been in the incubator. I think the first photo is the one I posted last week. And the next ones are small changes. I don't have the experience to say what's going although I'd love to know! lol Thanks for checking @Anyfoot
> View attachment 156259
> View attachment 156260


This is all new to me, but very curious and want to learn. @N2TORTS , does this look like twins?


----------



## allegraf (Dec 5, 2015)

@cdmay is the one that had the triplets. The only set of trips I have ever heard of. I think his egg may have been larger than normal, but I'm not sure. I also had twins, the egg was big, but nothing to indicate twins. I just anticipated a big hatchling. The other egg in the clutch was of a like size and as expected, produced a nice healthy big hatchling. It was a found clutch so no idea which of my torts was the mother. I have never candled the eggs, too scared and then two kids. I just let them cook till they are ready to come out. Keep us posted, I'm curious if they are twins and that candling at an early stage will be a way to tell for sure.


----------



## Anyfoot (Dec 6, 2015)

allegraf said:


> @cdmay is the one that had the triplets. The only set of trips I have ever heard of. I think his egg may have been larger than normal, but I'm not sure. I also had twins, the egg was big, but nothing to indicate twins. I just anticipated a big hatchling. The other egg in the clutch was of a like size and as expected, produced a nice healthy big hatchling. It was a found clutch so no idea which of my torts was the mother. I have never candled the eggs, too scared and then two kids. I just let them cook till they are ready to come out. Keep us posted, I'm curious if they are twins and that candling at an early stage will be a way to tell for sure.


 TRIPLETS . 
Does/can candling do damage to the embryo? 

@cdmay . Did you candle the egg of triplets? Were all 3 fit and healthy?


----------



## cdmay (Dec 9, 2015)

Anyfoot said:


> TRIPLETS .
> Does/can candling do damage to the embryo?
> 
> @cdmay . Did you candle the egg of triplets? Were all 3 fit and healthy?



I typically don't candle my eggs anymore although I sometimes will check eggs that are overdue on hatching.
Didn't candle the egg the triplets hatched from but it was not unusually large. A three of the triplets hatched and were healthy as could be...until I inadvertently killed them all by using horticultural/florists grade sphagnum moss in their terrarium. At the time I didn't realize what was going on with them as they each became sick--along with about a half dozen other holdbacks. 
But sometime later I learned that the moss I had been using had been treated for pests. Tough lesson for me to learn.


----------



## Anyfoot (Dec 9, 2015)

cdmay said:


> I typically don't candle my eggs anymore although I sometimes will check eggs that are overdue on hatching.
> Didn't candle the egg the triplets hatched from but it was not unusually large. A three of the triplets hatched and were healthy as could be...until I inadvertently killed them all by using horticultural/florists grade sphagnum moss in their terrarium. At the time I didn't realize what was going on with them as they each became sick--along with about a half dozen other holdbacks.
> But sometime later I learned that the moss I had been using had been treated for pests. Tough lesson for me to learn.


 Wow. Dont know how I would deal with that error. Sad for your loss. 
So do you think shining a bright light in an egg does damage? Also, with experience have you learnt what is probably fertile and what's not without candling, or is it a case of you know your females lay fertile eggs and just see what you get.


----------



## cdmay (Dec 9, 2015)

Anyfoot said:


> Wow. Dont know how I would deal with that error. Sad for your loss.
> So do you think shining a bright light in an egg does damage? Also, with experience have you learnt what is probably fertile and what's not without candling, or is it a case of you know your females lay fertile eggs and just see what you get.



I'm not sure if there's been any studies that indicate eye damage--or any other injuries--caused by candling eggs. Bird breeders have been candling eggs for centuries with no issues. 
But having said that, excessive candling probably COULD cause problems. Candling is a method used to quickly determine if an egg is fertile or not so one gets the idea that you check and egg once or maybe twice and that's it. But there are some who cannot help themselves and want to 'see' their neonates grow every few days. Not a good practice. 
Like I said, these days I rarely bother to candle my eggs--they're either fertile or not. And since my tortoises fertility remains high, there is no reason for me to get overly worried about it.


----------



## Raymo2477 (Dec 16, 2015)

I candled a successfully hatched Hermann's tortoise about 6 times, that being said I would only candle future eggs only once now that I know how to better id fertile vs dud eggs.


----------



## JourneyN15 (Jan 16, 2016)

Hi! Just wanted to give an update on the possible twin egg. I decided to check on it since hatching day is close. I see two bubbles instead of one large one. I'm still thinking twins but we'll soon know for sure. 




Also, I think it's possible that this same pair may have a second twin egg in the second clutch they laid. I was very surprised to see two dark spots. These look different from the first twin-looking egg where they were separate, in their own sac These look like two sharing the same space.? I don't know! Lol


----------



## teresaf (Jan 16, 2016)

This is so cool. Thanks for sharing. Let us know how these eggs turn out.


----------



## JourneyN15 (Jan 17, 2016)

Thank you, @teresaf I will!


----------



## JourneyN15 (Jan 17, 2016)

@cdmay I'm very, very sorry to hear about the triplets. And thank you for sharing your experience.


----------



## allegraf (Jan 21, 2016)

Well?!? I'm on pins and needles! This is the hardest part about breeding torts, waiting.


----------



## shellfreak (Mar 6, 2018)

Did these twins hatch?


----------



## shellfreak (Mar 6, 2018)

I have this sulcata egg, I candled it and looks different from any other egg I’ve candled before. Was curious if anyone thought it was possible twins?


----------

