Reptile & Amphibian Forums

WOW... I went outside today and my spotted was pushing out an egg!!!(guess I was right on her being a girl)I know that she hasn't been with any boys this year because I don't have any and she lives alone!!! She was picked up last year by one of my kids ( Marine Recruits ) off the side of the road and had shell damage. I patched her up over this winter and put her in an outside "pond" this May. Then today I watch her shoot an egg out.. Is there any chance it's viable? I already have it in an incubator with some corn eggs.. Please help on this so I can quit hovering over it like an expectant Father.. By the way Happy Fathers Day to all of us Dads!! Rock on, Blue

Definitely possible. I tested some hatchlings of Elseya latisternum once that had only been in with a male Elusor macrurus for four years. We tested if they were hybrids (using allozymes), they were not. Hence the femal had sperm retained for four years minimum. There have been other cases of sperm retention reported across a wide variety of chelonians.

Cheers, Scott

Scott Thomson
Carettochelys.com

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Scott Thomson

If you believe you can or you can't you are always right.

Awsome. Well cool any way..Unfortunately I'm moving back to NC in a bit, where I can't keep them....crap..

You might want to contact the Tortoise Reserve in NC about regs - if you have proof that you had them before you moved you might be able to keep it, unless you think it would be better to release it near where you found it. The TR mibht even be able to take it for one of their conservation breeding colonies.

http://www.tortoisereserve.org/

Who told you that it is Illegal in NC?? Ask Jeeves.com .. NC Wildlife.. Reptiles etc. See what you get!!

Terry