Leopard Twins! Please advice.

[etreal]

It resulted that the third egg clutching had twins joined by the yolk sack.

I already clean them of substrate and are in a small brooder box.

I saw some videos describing the procedure to separate them using dental floss filament as a suture. But what is the correct timing to perform the procedure? Should I wait some time for them to absorb the yolk sack or I have to do it now. They hatch early today.

 

[Ink]

@Tom , @Yvonne G will hopefully help you soon

 

[Tom]

@Tom , @Yvonne G will hopefully help you soon

I have a low success rate dealing with this. @Markw84 has had more success.

 

[etreal]

I have a low success rate dealing with this. @Markw84 has had more success.

Thanks Tom.
I hope having a good hand with this situation. They are so nice and small. Maybe 1/4 of the first hatchling.

Best regards,

 

[wellington]

Oh man, hope they both make it.
Hopefully Mark will see this soon.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Tom created a thread called TWINS in 2020...I just now skimmed it andn there's aome very good information on twins and
this one Separating Tortoise Twins by Hermanni Chris. Go to tortoise breeding and just skim the titles, lots of great info there...

 

[etreal]

My wife just help me doing the procedure. Everything looks ok. Both are alert, moving and looking good.
Previously I gave them a soak and it looked like they drank a little bit.
I will let you know the result.

 

[TammyJ]

Good luck!

 

[wellington]

Good luck with them 🤞

 

[TammyJ]

How are they doing?

 

[etreal]

How are they doing?

So far so good! They got their soak today and look very active, but they are still attached. I have not seen them eating yet.

Best regards,

 

[etreal]

Today I noticed that the area around the dental floss suture had no vascularity at all. So I decided to make a couple of sutures more (one for each tortoise) and separate them. I sterilized a pair of scissors and set them free. Then I applied antiseptic cream to both of them and put them in the brooder box. They look fine; my only concern is an infection, but I hope they can make it.
I decided to do this procedure because I think they have a better chance to survive (start eating, avoid infections, etc.) not being attached to each other.

 

[wellington]

Rooting for you and them. Keep us posted

 

[Ink]

Good luck 🤞.

 

[etreal]

The twins look great today. Very active and alert. I have not seen them eating yet. Maybe they are, but I have not seen them.

The “yolk sack” if we can call it that way, looks good. Not sign of infection, but I have no idea what will happen with the dental floss suture.

Here are the picks.
Best regards.

 

[Ink]

Wonderful news. I have no idea about the floss.

 

[SinLA]

So I don't know anything about babies. Would non-conjoined babies have that as well (umbilical-cord looking thing)?

 

[etreal]

So I don't know anything about babies. Would non-conjoined babies have that as well (umbilical-cord looking thing)?

Yes. They are born with the yolk sack that is absorbed in a few days. The yolk keeps nurturing the baby on the first days after eclosion.

 

[etreal]

Dear friends:

This will be the last update of these thread. 8 days after the separation procedure and 11 days after birth date, these two little guys are leaving their brooder box and into their closed enclosure with their siblings.

In these days they got 1 additional gram (they are 15 gr now) look very active and are eating and pooping.

Thanks to all that followed this adventure!

 

[SinLA]

Yay, please keep us updated on their progress