I may want to purchase from this individual in the future. I'm still trying to establish a self-sustaining colony of major. He showed me pictures of the adults that these babies reportedly came from. They are supposed to be Panama City locale turtles. I'll tell you, the one baby looks exactly like the male. This other turtle does not resemble either parent. I'm really trying to reinforce my own opinion that the dude lied to me.

I see it much like ornata and luteola, which I've been trying to research for a while now. You have "suspect" individuals of which there is no remarkable difference, and then you have starkly contrasting turtles. These particular adult Gulf coasts screamed "subspecies". There was no doubt in my mind that they should be separate subspecies from any other T.c.

Conant wrote that occasional specimens of any subspecies may have three hind toes. I'm concerned about the frequency among major. I mean, what are the odds that, of the two hatchlings I purchase, one has this genetic trait? If it's fairly common, the odds go up.

I was really hoping to hear from someone with a lot of major breeding experience, who could give me some idea of the frequency of this trait in their lines if at all. If it is common, which it very well may be due to the "sandwiching" of major between triunguis and bauri (both rear 3-toed), I'll feel more at ease. Frankly, this guy is my only major source right now. Boy, I hope he doesn't read this forum.

This is the other hatchling. The male adult was very large and nearly as flat as a RES. He had intensely upward flared margins and half of his head was white. He also had a very blocky head. This young one is starting to look like him.

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