# Peeked in the incubator....



## TylerStewart (Sep 15, 2010)

And saw this, which was a surprise to me. Any guesses what it is? I have at least 2 of them hatching now.


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## Jacqui (Sep 15, 2010)

I know what it is.... it's CUTE! that's what it is.


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## dmmj (Sep 15, 2010)

Looks like an albino to me.


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## shelber10 (Sep 15, 2010)

looks cool! but i have no idea what kind of tortoise it is


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## Az tortoise compound (Sep 15, 2010)

Sulcata?


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## shane1111 (Sep 16, 2010)

i love albinos


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## Annieski (Sep 16, 2010)

Can't wait to see the rest of him!


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## TylerStewart (Sep 16, 2010)

Yes and yes, albino sulcata. Two of them started hatching yesterday and was a complete surprise to me. Most of the clutch hasn't cracked yet, so I'm hoping for a few more. The same female laid a second set of eggs in the ground that I was never able to find (I was out of town at a show that weekend), so I'm just hoping that nature will take it's course on those ones. The mom I've had for a few years, but the male was new to her early this spring. In past years, she never had anything like this from her normal male. Fun times!


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## jlyoncc1 (Sep 16, 2010)

I want to see! The picture isn't there!!!!


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## Isa (Sep 16, 2010)

jlyoncc1 said:


> I want to see! The picture isn't there!!!!



Same here  I do not see the pic.


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## Jacqui (Sep 16, 2010)

It's still showing on mine.


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Sep 16, 2010)

I know I know.....a couple thousand dollars. very nice.


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## TylerStewart (Sep 16, 2010)

Sorry, the pic was temporarily down but is back up. 



> I know I know.....a couple thousand dollars. very nice.



Not real sure what the plan is for them. Kinda depends how many I get. I wouldn't mind making some good trades for them. You know I'm not in this for the money


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## Isa (Sep 16, 2010)

Really cute pics, I love all the details of the skin


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## Neal (Sep 16, 2010)

Congats man that's awsome! I'll trade a leopard hatchling straight up for one. It's fair cuz mine have super powers.


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## TylerStewart (Sep 16, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> I'll trade a leopard hatchling straight up for one. It's fair cuz mine have super powers.



If yours can spit fire out of their arse, we'll talk. I've been looking for one of those. Send pics.


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## Neal (Sep 16, 2010)

TylerStewart said:


> Neal Butler said:
> 
> 
> > I'll trade a leopard hatchling straight up for one. It's fair cuz mine have super powers.
> ...



So far all mine are trained to poop out tax returns for me. I've got 22 eggs cookin now, so we might get lucky. I will keep you updated of their progress.


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## N2TORTS (Sep 16, 2010)

Very Nice Tyler .... ! .. How cool is that? Was she breed with a Het albino? .. Just love Life's * special one's* ....keep the pics coming can't wait to see um! 

JD~

PS. Thanks for the hookup on the Bulk*bag of Mazuri..at the show!


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## TylerStewart (Sep 16, 2010)

N2TORTS said:


> Very Nice Tyler .... ! .. How cool is that? Was she breed with a Het albino? .. Just love Life's * special one's* ....keep the pics coming can't wait to see um!
> 
> JD~
> 
> PS. Thanks for the hookup on the Bulk*bag of Mazuri..at the show!



I wish you guys would start introducing yourselves! Nobody tells me their usernames when they come by at shows, so I meet a lot of people but I never put a face to a name.... 

The breeding was totally random and unexpected. I guess I assumed it was two unknown hets, most of my tortoise friends agree, although my ball python buddy tells me that's crazy and it was just a fluke and won't happen again. I know who the mom was, and I'm 80% sure who the dad is. She bred to a different male (her normal male) for most of the last 3 years, then I gave her a new boyfriend early this spring for a few months and this happened. In the past, she had low fertility, small clutches, and usually a single clutch (she is still pretty small, around 18-19"), so while I think it's this new male that did it, it could have been happening in the past and just the eggs never hatched, or some other random act. 

Got another photo a few hours ago. They're still working their way out. Still at least 10 eggs haven't cracked in this clutch. Right now I'm at 1/3 red eye albino for the ones that have hatched.


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## egyptiandan (Sep 16, 2010)

Great pictures Tyler 

It does sound like your female and new male are Hets. They must have come from a Het to Het breeding and were thought to have a 66% chance of being Het. Someone either figured they weren't or just plain forgot 

Danny


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Sep 16, 2010)

They are adorable babes. You're so lucky Tyler........let us know how many ya get.


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## Rimoxo (Sep 16, 2010)

I think it IS albino. Haha, it looks pretty cute, is it moving?


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## GotTurtles (Sep 16, 2010)

Nice babies. Especially if this was a surprise.


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## OurZoo (Sep 16, 2010)

Speaking of babies . . . do YOU have a new baby boy yet? Did I miss the post?
And those Sulcata babies!?! That's what the phrase "cute as a button" was created for!

Sandy


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## TylerStewart (Sep 16, 2010)

Glad you all like them. They're still not completely out of the eggs, but we're not hurrying them. I'm leaving for Sacramento for the show this weekend in the early morning, so my wife is in charge of them for the weekend. We've been so busy lately with tortoises and kids and the land plus my 40 hour work week and back to back to back shows, things are crazy here. It's almost more relaxing to go to the shows than to stay home anymore.... At least by 5PM, the show is over and I can relax. I don't get to relax at home. 

We don't have a new Stewart baby yet. Probably in about 2 weeks. She was due Oct 7th, but they measured her the other day and they think the boy is at least 7 pounds at this point, so it's probably soon. In the meantime, I have a show to attend!


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## TKCARDANDCOIN (Sep 17, 2010)

Tyler, Oct. 7 th is my wifes due date also! Thats pretty cool! Congrats...


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## TylerStewart (Sep 21, 2010)

*Update*

So it looks like at this point, two albinos are out of the egg, 6 normal appearing babies (for a statistical 25%), and about 7 eggs to go. I'm kinda starting to doubt that many more will hatch. This female had pretty low hatch rates last year, so it's somewhat expected (she's young, and it will improve). I got the vermiculite mostly cleaned off of them, and they couldn't be more perfect. Perfect scutes, active and eating well already. Here's some new photos I took today:


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## Tom (Sep 21, 2010)

Man those are cool. Are you gonna get 'em some sun glasses?


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## TylerStewart (Sep 21, 2010)

Man, that's the question of the year.... I've been discussing it with a lot of tortoise people, the best way to protect the eyes, and we have some ideas I'm going to work with. I think my current plan is to raise them up at least a year from now with their siblings and just play it by ear. I'm in no hurry to do anything significant with them besides keep them healthy and _smooth_.


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## Tom (Sep 21, 2010)

Hey, I've got a few ideas for doing that!


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## TylerStewart (Sep 21, 2010)

I'm more into the low-maintenance type of pyramiding prevention, though. I'm not around enough to mist them 4 times a day!


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## Tom (Sep 21, 2010)

TylerStewart said:


> I'm more into the low-maintenance type of pyramiding prevention, though. I'm not around enough to mist them 4 times a day!



Here's a little care sheet I typed up just for people like you, Tyler.
http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies


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## Scooter (Sep 21, 2010)

Tyler, they are magnificent! Congratulations, can't wait to see more pics of them!


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## RV's mom (Sep 21, 2010)

Very, very nice!


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## kbaker (Sep 23, 2010)

Great job, Tyler! They are beautiful.


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## shmily1605 (Sep 23, 2010)

They are too cute. Great Pics. This is all kinda confusing to me so would that make the other hatchlings HET's?


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## John1982 (Sep 24, 2010)

Congratulations Tyler, I'd be pretty psyched at just a normal hatching but would probably die on the spot if I saw something like that! 



shmily1605 said:


> They are too cute. Great Pics. This is all kinda confusing to me so would that make the other hatchlings HET's?



het x het I think averages out to 25% homozygous(in this case albino), 25% normal, 50% heterozygous.. so all normal looking animals in a het x het pairing would be 66% possible heterozygous?? I think that's right but still get confused with all this genetics stuff.


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## TylerStewart (Sep 25, 2010)

John1982 said:


> het x het I think averages out to 25% homozygous(in this case albino), 25% normal, 50% heterozygous.. so all normal looking animals in a het x het pairing would be 66% possible heterozygous?? I think that's right but still get confused with all this genetics stuff.



From what I understand, that is correct. I'm also not big into the genetics stuff, but that's what I've been told by a few other people. The normal appearing babies would have a 66% chance of being hets, and a 33% chance of being nothing at all, genetically. 

It looks like only 8 of the eggs in the clutch are going to hatch, so there's 2 albinos and 6 "others."

Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad everyone likes them. Now if I could only make up my mind what to do with them....


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## dmmj (Sep 25, 2010)

No pressure but I saw an albino sulc being offered at 5500$, a year or two ago, now I don't know if they got that price or not, but that is what they wanted,


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## TylerStewart (Sep 25, 2010)

I'll tell ya what.... Just go ahead and PayPal me a nice even $4,500, and we'll call it good. 

There's one on Kingsnake for $2500 right now, and a bigger (pyramided) one for $4450, probably a year old. I don't think either person produced them, though. I still think I would do better in a trade, since I don't think many people are going to want to pay that much in cash for a baby tortoise.


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## LRBailey (Jan 16, 2011)

Any new pics of the albinos Tyler? I'd love to see how they are looking.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Jan 16, 2011)

WOW, albino!


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