Yet another nucal scute?

[cdmay]

This makes the third hatchling cherryhead this year with a perfect little nucal scute.

All three have come from the same female although they are from different clutches. I have come to the conclusion that a male I borrowed from Mark and Allegra Fung-Lue last summer had a compatible gene with my female for producing these hatchlings.
Now, does this mean that it is a throwback gene or are they producing a new trait. Or, is it just random?

 

[Chewbecca]

I don't know, but it sure is cute!

You can send it to me if it bothers you.

Since my little guy has a nuchal scute as well, they'd probably eventually make MORE babies with nuchal scutes, and then soon it'll be more common in redfoots.


Heh, I honestly have NO idea.

 

[Crazy1]

Has any information on RF and nucal scutes been documented in the past that you know of ??? It will be interesting to see if this indeed is a new trait coming out in RFs. Whichever it is a beautiful baby.

 

[cdmay]

I have never read of nuchal (sorry I misspelled it above) scutes in Chelonoidis before. In all three of these hatchlings the nuchal is short and stubby and not like what you would see in Indotestudo or Testudo, etc.

 

[Bryan]

I have never read of nuchal (sorry I misspelled it above) scutes in Chelonoidis before. In all three of these hatchlings the nuchal is short and stubby and not like what you would see in Indotestudo or Testudo, etc.

Hi Carl, I thought that their dads were Moe? Do you have a pic of the "stud" that you brought in? That is something though 3 of them this year already, I haven't seen many at all in ads of Cherryheads for sale.

 

[egyptiandan]

I would assume (I know) that the nuchal scute would be a throw back as all primative tortoises have a nuchal scute.
I can only think it would pop up as it can happen that tortoises with a nuchal scute can be found without one.
Than you have Forsten's tortoises, Indotestudo forstenii where half the population has a nuchal and the other half doesn't.

Danny

 

[cdmay]

I would assume (I know) that the nuchal scute would be a throw back as all primative tortoises have a nuchal scute.
I can only think it would pop up as it can happen that tortoises with a nuchal scute can be found without one.
Than you have Forsten's tortoises, Indotestudo forstenii where half the population has a nuchal and the other half doesn't.

Danny

Danny....that is pretty much what I was thinking too. But I wonder why I have never had them appear before--especially with this female. The situation with I. forstenii is weird but they appear to be in the process of losing their nuchals.
Bryan.... I had assumed that the male involved was my old male named Moe. But now I wonder if it might have been Mark and Allegra's male. See page 218 of the Vinke and Vetter book on South American Tortoises for a photo of their male. While your at it, see page 301 of that same book for the female that has produced these hatchlings.

 

[Bryan]

I would assume (I know) that the nuchal scute would be a throw back as all primative tortoises have a nuchal scute.
I can only think it would pop up as it can happen that tortoises with a nuchal scute can be found without one.
Than you have Forsten's tortoises, Indotestudo forstenii where half the population has a nuchal and the other half doesn't.

Danny

Danny....that is pretty much what I was thinking too. But I wonder why I have never had them appear before--especially with this female. The situation with I. forstenii is weird but they appear to be in the process of losing their nuchals.
Bryan.... I had assumed that the male involved was my old male named Moe. But now I wonder if it might have been Mark and Allegra's male. See page 218 of the Vinke and Vetter book on South American Tortoises for a photo of their male. While your at it, see page 301 of that same book for the female that has produced these hatchlings.

Thanks Carl, I just lent the book to my cousin so I have to ask him for it back later. That is very interesting. I guess that one day I may have to get some from Darth and Moe then