Hermann's World (Big Post)

[HermanniChris]

The Hermann's have been hatching like crazy over here with still many more to come. I decided to make one big post with several photos showing a few new hatches, an unusual deformity, and some comparisons.

I'll start with the deformity. This tortoise hatched out at almost 70 days which is the longest indubation period I have experienced with these tortoises. It can be longer but temperature and other factors play a role. This is also the only tortoise I have ever hatched that was deformed. Every single other has been perfect. No extra scutes, no extra limbs....This little tortoise broke out of its egg and quickly died. Its yolk sac is enormous and it has no eyes. Its color is gorgeous though. I have experienced a similar case with a few North American Wood Turtle hatchlings and one Eastern Box Turtle hatchling.

Now for some better news. Here are some new Testudo hermanni boettgeri that are all 100% healthy, robust babies.

Here is a Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis hatching.

Here are some comparison photos showing all three Hermann's subspecies as hatchlings. Testudo hermanni boettgeri is on the left, hercegovinensis is in the middle and hermanni hermanni is on the right.

In this photo boettgeri is on the left, hermanni hermanni in the middle and hercegovinensis is on the right.

Here are some shots of a new Italian T. hermanni hermanni.

 

[cvalda]

Oh that first one is so sad, but such lovely coloring!!! That yolk sac is way creepy though! Amazing that he was able to break out of his egg, though!

The rest are adorable! I especially love that last one, the Italian one! What a cutie!

 

[HermanniChris]

I know it is sad that things like this happen. It is also incredibly interesting. Also if you really think about it, it truly blows my mind to think how anything at any moment can go wrong during incubation and yet this is the only time it has with these tortoises for me.

 

[cvalda]

Yes it really is amazing that you've had sooo many hatchlings and this is the only one. I guess that is the mystery of nature. When I was a teen, I bred gerbils - hand tamed and sold to petstores - and of the hundred or more babies I bred, only two had issues... one I was able to "save" but he was always small... like a midget... the second died during birth, too large and apparently suffocated on his way out. That ripped me up, as a teen, of course. I still get a tear in my eye. But then I have to remember all the lovely babies that made it and were so happy and healthy and fun!

Anyways, Chris, you've got a gift in your touch with those hatchlings, methinks!!!!!

 

[HermanniChris]

Thanks Kelly, and yes it is the way of nature.

 

[jlyoncc1]

Chris, That is very interesting. It almost looks as though it couldn't fit in an egg. Your others are beautiful though. Congrats!

 

[egyptiandan]

Great pictures Chris Sad to say but death is always a fact of life I've seen more than my fair share in over 30 years of keeping turtles and tortoises. I've probably seen just about everything that can happen from egg to adulthood. It never gets easy, but does become expected. Not every egg will hatch and not every hatchling will live. Okay done getting morose
I love the comparison pictures Chris.

Danny

 

[Crazy1]

Chris your first three pic are amazing and tragic. What a beautiful shell color. And the rest are jus Gorgeous. Love the little Italians light nose.

 

[HermanniChris]

Thanks Dee, Dan and Robyn.

I just candled some more eggs from the same mother that produced that deformed baby. I think another may turn out the same. I can see in the egg that the embryo is much smaller than the others and these eggs are due next week. Maybe this has something to do with her. Time will tell.

 

[HermanniChris]

another one is pipping now...

 

[barbie69]

You have some of the most precious babies!! That first pic is very sad but thank you for sharing. I will keep my fingers crossed the rest are okay. I have got to get me some more of those and I would LOVE to get a THH or two. Their color is just GORGEOUS!!!

 

[HermanniChris]

Thank you

 

[TestudoGeek]

petty the first guy didn't make it. His colour was incredible.
I love the italian guy! lol

PS - I'm always amazed at how good you can tell Hermann's subpecies apart. THB & Hercegovinensis seem so similar to me...

 

[HermanniChris]

petty the first guy didn't make it. His colour was incredible.
I love the italian guy! lol

PS - I'm always amazed at how good you can tell Hermann's subpecies apart. THB & Hercegovinensis seem so similar to me...

Telling Thb and Hercegovinensis apart is definitely tricky and Dan was the one who helped me to understand it a bit better. As for Thb and Thh I've been keeping them for so long now and I have probably read everything out there on them. I have researched so much on them and have seen so many animals by now that it takes me two seconds to tell someone which subspecies they have. To many it is a hard task to differentiate the two which is understandable but to me they look almost nothing alike at this point.

The chapter in my book that discusses differentiating them is quite long and I have covered every single little detail in it....I actually still go back to it and add things in here and there.

 

[Iluvemturts]

Great babies Chris. That first one sure did have a pretty shell.
I too am amazed how you can tell the difference of the subspecies....heck I can't even get the sex right on them lol.

 

[JustAnja]

Chris when is the book going to be published????

 

[HermanniChris]

Thanks Tracy

Anja, There's still a good amount of writing left to do but it's coming along. I've also been putting together some amazing photos for it. I'm really hoping it'll be out by Fall of this year but it might not come out until the beginning of 2009. I want to get it done so bad but it's definitely not the easiest thing to do. Plus I keep going back to chapters I have finished to add more things in....