Tortoise fan

[DantezGirl]

thats one huge tortoise

[livingart]

that would be the only option left

you would then use the turtles that looked more like the cooter type to breed with

and so forth in the next generation with 5 to 6 years between each generation?

you are breeding siblings, so until another cooter surfaces your gene pool is limited, reptiles seem to handle inbreeding well for quite a few generations

[repto]

that could be disputed Livingart,who has bred any past the first generation?we won`t live long enough to test that theory (IMO)??

[livingart]

was generally speaking about studies done on inbreeding of other reptiles in america, some dragons are on their 9th generation of inbreeding

i probably won't live to see the results, 3 generations of the mentioned crosses could take up to 24 years

unless like some monitors recorded they can breed through parthonogenisis, don't think it has been recorded in turtles though

[broms2]

parthonogenisis

what does that mean

Mark i'm sure you will see some generations to come, you may be a bit pickled by then but hopefully still about

[Pegasus]

Parthenogenesis means ... Repoduction without Fertilization... especially in Inverts and lower plant life.

Bill.

[broms2]

thanks Bill, I think I feel a google learning session coming up tonight for me

[georgeous]

Parthenogenesis means ... Repoduction without Fertilization... especially in Inverts and lower plant life.

Bill.

Is that like when hens lay eggs, but because they have no rooster, eggs go unfertilized?? Or have I got it completely wrong?? :roll:

Cheers,

George

[livingart]

thanks bill for the explanation and spelling correction

in animals it is where the female can produce young without a male present

in birds turkeys can do it

[Computerbabe]

red eared, snakeneck and reeves turtles

GREEK, HERMANS

These are the most common but there are a still few more around like the Yellow heads which are a Asian tortoise

and the Californian Box Tortoise 8)

[Varanophile]

komodo dragons can be pathogenic too. makes it easy for species to colonise new areas.

[ExotherMan]

Parthenogenesis is also seen naturally in several snake and monitor species and probably many more.

Really it is likely to have been going on for centuries without really being widely acknowledged.

Whether as an important role in evolution or as a means for a species to colonise an ecosystem is really still debated. Invertebrates ofcourse seem to have mastered the art rather well, particularly social arthropods where the very social structure is built by the different fertilised/unfertilised offspring.

None the less its now regularly utilised in the laboratory environment in almost all vertebrate species and in particular seen as a useful tool in maintaining genetically consistant reptilian populations. Artificially ofcourse.

[repto]

what about NZ natives?Just thinking about the high populations of different species on alot of our ofshore islands?gt barrier,little barrier,hen and chickens,stephens island,stewart island etc etc?

[fish_fingers]

Last year I had to try and locate a Tortoise for someone.... after a few days of dodgy calls and random emails I managed to find a Pet Store out South that was "connected" to a breeder, only to be told that I had no business looking for one and that the breeder would not want to talk to me as they apparently only delt with that certain pet store. I must have stirred up a real hornets nest as she slammed the phone down, not the customer service one would expect.

After that ordeal and chatting to other soruces, it does appear there is a secret organisation of "underground" Tortoise breeders....don't blame them I suppose knowing how much they are worth and such.

[broms2]

Unfortunitly I would have to say I would be quite wary if I had tortoises, I can't blame people for being very careful who they show or deal with, gone are the days when people just wanted to see reptiles, it seems almost all the people I know have been burned at some point when they have opened up what they have to the masses to see, its a shame its got like this.

[DantezGirl]

are yall talking about people stealing from the breeders? whom have kindly allowed people to visit and see the animals or even sell the animals?

if thats the case i do not blame them and because of a few idiots we mere mortals have to miss out what a shame