- Joined
- Apr 1, 2010
- Messages
- 475
Hi everyone,
I'm in need of your collective expertise and opinions. I had eggs from my Redfoots last fall (and all winter!) for the first time and I'm finding them to be a challenge! I'm used to Box turtle (Eastern) and Greek (Ibera) eggs as they develop it's like a road map. It's so easy to see the blood vessels and even limbs when they are close to hatching! I have yet to see a blood vessel on a Redfoot egg! I know the physical characteristics of Redfoot eggs are much different than others but I'm at a loss! I've poured over pictures of development on the web and in my books but I'm not any closer to understanding what I'm looking at.
Picture #1 (laid 9/23/09): I've never seen the dark blob on top with a band of clear then the embryo with any other eggs. It appears on more than one egg in this clutch. Is this normal?
Picture #2 (laid 9/23/09): I see this circle in a lot of the Redfoot eggs. What is it?
Picture #3: This is an OLD egg (laid Aug. 2009). I have not tossed it because it's intact and doesn't smell. I'd be surprised if the embryo is still alive. If the embryo is dead, would the remains eventually flow to the bottom as a result of gravity? Because it's still attached to the side of the shell could it be viable?
Thank you so much for lending your eyes and experience. Sorry for the long post.
I'm in need of your collective expertise and opinions. I had eggs from my Redfoots last fall (and all winter!) for the first time and I'm finding them to be a challenge! I'm used to Box turtle (Eastern) and Greek (Ibera) eggs as they develop it's like a road map. It's so easy to see the blood vessels and even limbs when they are close to hatching! I have yet to see a blood vessel on a Redfoot egg! I know the physical characteristics of Redfoot eggs are much different than others but I'm at a loss! I've poured over pictures of development on the web and in my books but I'm not any closer to understanding what I'm looking at.
Picture #1 (laid 9/23/09): I've never seen the dark blob on top with a band of clear then the embryo with any other eggs. It appears on more than one egg in this clutch. Is this normal?
Picture #2 (laid 9/23/09): I see this circle in a lot of the Redfoot eggs. What is it?
Picture #3: This is an OLD egg (laid Aug. 2009). I have not tossed it because it's intact and doesn't smell. I'd be surprised if the embryo is still alive. If the embryo is dead, would the remains eventually flow to the bottom as a result of gravity? Because it's still attached to the side of the shell could it be viable?
Thank you so much for lending your eyes and experience. Sorry for the long post.
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