21 month leopard incubation and hatching

[tortadise]

Well November 2012 Mo the big leopard female I have dug a nest and laid some eggs while in the greenhouse back in 2012. I was out of town and my mom had dislocated her knee falling off a ladder. She couldn't make it over the divider to collect the eggs. So we left them in the ground. When spring 2013 came I dug up the area where my mom thought they were. Continued in a large area around where she thought. Ended up not finding any eggs after digging 2' down and about an area of 8'x9'. Anyways I always water down the soil and find Redfoot nests this way. Sometimes little guys walking around too. Well I've been remodeling the greenhouse and told Otis my dog to find the eggs. I saw a couple tunnel holes that were probably mouse tunnels. But he found them, along with 7 egg Redfoot clutch.

So 21 months later 1 completely hatched out one pipped and 8 very light probably no good eggs and 4 heavy possibly good ones.

I am however leaning towards these guys not making it. The one completely out doesn't look so hot. Kinda deformed looking. Almost albino though. Pretty cool. I'd have to speculate the too long of cool and multiple diapause regimes they underwent hampered with keeping the vital nutrients in the membrane and feeding the growth properly to the tortoise. I don't know, but would be cool to see them all pull through.

Here is the one completely out. Very awesome looking. But kinda shriveled up.
Very tiny. Smaller than a quarter.

 

[Tom]

Weird. Good info to know. I would have though they'd hatch in Summer of 2013. I wonder why they didn't. Too cool in the green house?

 

[tortadise]

Weird. Good info to know. I would have though they'd hatch in Summer of 2013. I wonder why they didn't. Too cool in the green house?

Yeah me too Tom, me too. It has been very cold the past winters. Very cool temps all the way through June early July for us. So being 12" down I'd imagine they almost had a diapause each night 80% of the year. Last year I didn't put torts out until July and brought them back in mid September. Other than that temps were mid to low 60s ambient. So who knows what happened. Not sure if they will survive. But interesting to know they can be hatched almost 2 years later.

 

[bouaboua]

WOW! ! !

I learn everyday here. 21 months!! Can you believe that?

Please updating the develop of this little guy. He looks so vulnerable. Best wishes.....

 

[Blakem]

I hope this little one works out. Good dog you have for listening on finding the eggs.


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(This is my signature)
Here's some great plant identification websites I use.

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/diet.htm#plantlist

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[mike taylor]

Sweet, Kelly 21 months in the ground to little ones . Tortoises are survivors .

 

[ShadowRancher]

Wow that's an intense incubation period, cant wait to see how it turns out

 

[tortadise]

@Tom @Neal yeah I remember both Tom and Neal discussing about my gibundo(large) female needing to be paired with a pardalis pardalis. Well I'm on the search now for sure. Mo the damn of these offspring was with a large pardalis pardalis back a few years ago. So this sperm concoction obviously had his genetic male up in it. Mo is not a known pure pardalis pardalis but these offspring sure do represent a good percentage. Very speckled and all double dotted. As well the duration all her ova hatch at. With diapause- 7 months. Without 9-21. However the 21 doesn't hold water IMO because they were in ground during 2 winters. But still in incubator they are lengthy incubation duration.

Unfortunately this guy didn't make it. The other hatched one is still alive and also raining eggs to pip that are heavy and show little ones inside. Also have 54 more from her this year too.

Anyways blah blah. Leopards sure do fascinate me.

 

[wellington]

Very interesting. Wish they all had made it. Would be interesting to see how they turned out.

 

[tortadise]

Very interesting. Wish they all had made it. Would be interesting to see how they turned out.

One is still alive and 6 eggs rain to hatch if they will. But yeah definitely a weird incident

 

[Tom]

@Tom @Neal yeah I remember both Tom and Neal discussing about my gibundo(large) female needing to be paired with a pardalis pardalis. Well I'm on the search now for sure.

Kelly I have a surplus male right now. He's around 15-16" and ready to go. One of the 2010 bunch. 100% pure South African. Let me know if you are interested. The price is negotiable.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/south-african-leopard-male-for-sale.93574/