hmm...twin question (especially for those of you who've hatched twins)

[Khrysty]

So, if an egg, for whatever reason, happens to be carrying twins...and if you incubate that egg at, say, 84/85 degrees Fahrenheit, is it possible to hatch one male and one female out of the same egg?

 

[JordanAng420]

Statistically, I would think so. I would guess sure, since you see fraternal leopard gecko twins all the time, I would think the sexes can be different too. But you might want to wait until someone who's got more hatching experience than I do.

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

I had a buddy who hatched out twins with different sex. The following season he bred them back to each other and had 2 more pairs of twins from them. So I know it is possible to have both sexes, and I assume (like in humans) twins can run in the family (I don't have the slightest clue on the genetics behind twins though).

 

[Khrysty]

I had a buddy who hatched out twins with different sex. The following season he bred them back to each other and had 2 more pairs of twins from them. So I know it is possible to have both sexes, and I assume (like in humans) twins can run in the family (I don't have the slightest clue on the genetics behind twins though).

That's fascinating. Maybe someone should start a project like that. Breeding a twin with another (though it'd be better if they weren't related) and seeing if more twins were produced...line breeding from there. That would be awesome!

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Are there any health issues associated with twin leos? I know there can be with humans and other species of animals, like low birth weight.

 

[OneFootedAce]

Are there any health issues associated with twin leos? I know there can be with humans and other species of animals, like low birth weight.

They hatch out much smaller, and often times they do not thrive, or survive.

 

[Ga_herps]

The one set I produced were probably half the size of a normal baby, and one did not survive past the first six months. The other is thriving with no problems to this day at my mother-in-laws. It would be a very neat thing though to see if twin to twin does produce a higher frequency of twins on a predictable basis. I would expect though that some genetic traits that would not be wanted could arise like smaller size and slower growth.

 

[Khrysty]

I do remember reading last season that someone (I wish I could remember who!) hatched out twins that were both fully developed and the correct weight. I wonder if low hatch weight is also genetic. If you breed the robust ones together...will you get robust offspring?

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

There have to be a million contributing factors as to the initial health of twins. I personally would not breed for twins simply because you would have a much lower percent chance of raising them to maturity. As far as robust breeders to get robust geckos, I would say you have a higher chance of getting bigger geckos for sure. I have a female that only weighs 87g but the eggs she pops out I swear could come from chickens they are so huge. Her hatch-lings are pretty big and have weighed 6-7g before.

 

[Khrysty]

I won't breed for twins, either, to clarify. I know nothing of the factors involved and I'm a little fainthearted when it comes to losing little ones. Obviously, sometimes those losses are inevitable, but I wouldn't set myself up for them, ya know? I'm just curious about how a project like that would turn out.