egg tooth???

[LZRDGRL]

Anatomical question:

Do leopard geckos have special teeth to open their eggs when they are hatching?

I know that chicks do; and snakes, obviously.

If leos have such teeth - how many; and where are they? I didn't observe my hatchling making the slit in the egg; its head was already sticking out when I found it.

Did anybody actually see his/her gecko baby make the hole in the egg, and how???? Do you have a clear photo/video/X-ray of it??? (That's probably too much to ask.)

Chrissy

 

[LeapinLizards]

As far as I know, and what I have read, they DO in fact have an egg tooth located on the front of their snout. How many, that I am not sure of. I think that their first shed is when the egg teeth go, since they are of no use anymore.

 

[PacHerp]

I got this photo of one of my geckos hatching earlier this year... you can see the egg tooth just barely! I hope this helps!

 

[LeapinLizards]

I think I see two tiny ones in the pic, Brittney?

 

[PacHerp]

I think I see two tiny ones in the pic, Brittney?

Yep, Heather! Thats it!!!

I took that photo with a stock lens, believe it or not.. My macro lens has been broken now for 10 months... but we shall see what Santa brings. hehe.

 

[LeapinLizards]

Haha, man that's what I need even MORE than a scale...a GOOD MICRO capable camera!

 

[PacHerp]

Haha, man that's what I need even MORE than a scale...a GOOD MICRO capable camera!

LOL... don't even get me started... I'd be broke and have my house mortgaged to the nines if I could have all the camera stuff I wanted. LOL.

ok ok, just for the fun of it... here is another photo from that hatching progression... you can see here where the egg was pipped several times, just before he was able to get his little head out.

 

[LZRDGRL]

Great pic!! Thanks to you all.

Chrissy

 

[malt_geckos]

I'm pretty sure the egg tooth is a modified scale on the top of the geckos nose mouth area. We've watched many geckos hatch but we've never seen the egg tooth before. It falls off after the geckos has hatched.

 

[cuomop]

yes they do have an egg tooth

being the biology masters student that i am i will give you some more information:

a egg tooth is a small, sharp, cranial out growth used by offspring of many egg-laying animals (snakes, reptiles, birds, some monotremes, frogs, spiders)
the egg tooth can be reabsorbed or fall off shortly after hatching or retained for a period of time