Bill,grate minds think a like! I use the marginals also. I just made it up with my first clutch of mt.torts. It was a huge group of 36 so I marked up to the costals too.I used it for a base line study of growth rates for at the time there was none for M.e.p. It was that second weight notation that I realised some of the babies had extra marginal or costal scutes! Messed up the whole system! I had to have a 11a and 11b and so forth. LOL I use fingernail polish because there is always some around.Yes it reaks of xylean but drys fast and never wears off.I'v had no illness or death but there are better products. Now I use the marginal scute to mark the month of the year I worm them.(R1 Jan.ect) Some organizations drill holes in the marginals of study animals.I've also seen wild captured tortoises from Asia with teather holes whittled in the shells. Vic.........Pic...Now I mark the top for quick I.D.of gene pools.(off center from spine in case of leaching into the spinal canal) but it makes for a bad picture!.....

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