Rainbow Of Reds @ The Cove'

[N2TORTS]

JD~

 

[christinaland128]

They're all so amazing!

 

[kathyth]

Everything is so beautiful, from the tortoises to the rainbow!
I love it!

 

[tortoisetime565]

What causes marbling?

 

[N2TORTS]

What causes marbling?

Keratin makes up the tortoise’s shell. Within this build up are layers that contain beta-keratin, in contrast to the alpha-keratin found in other animals. The beta-keratin, not to be confused with beta carotine, also contains melanin. The different proteins’ make up of this is what effects the coloring and or in this case “marbling of the shell.” Without getting very heavy on the subject…light that is reflected back from these layers also plays a role on the “visual” color you and I see.
Here is a Good read …..
J Morphol. 2013 Feb;274(2):175-93. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20086. Epub 2012 Oct 15.
Cornification in reptilian epidermis occurs through the deposition of keratin-associated beta-proteins (beta-keratins) onto a scaffold of intermediate filament keratins.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23065677

 

[immayo]

What causes marbling?

Nothing causes it per say. It's just good old genetics!

 

[N2TORTS]

Well.....Whit' that keeps the ball rolling ..sorta speak ....

Yet another excellent easy to understand read if folks are interested .....


The Expression of Beta (β) Keratins in the Epidermal Appendages of Reptiles and Birds

http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/4/530.full


JD~

 

[naturalman91]

I'd love to live a day in your life getting to be around these beautiful torts

 

[tortoisetime565]

Keratin makes up the tortoise’s shell. Within this build up are layers that contain beta-keratin, in contrast to the alpha-keratin found in other animals. The beta-keratin, not to be confused with beta carotine, also contains melanin. The different proteins’ make up of this is what effects the coloring and or in this case “marbling of the shell.” Without getting very heavy on the subject…light that is reflected back from these layers also plays a role on the “visual” color you and I see.
Here is a Good read …..
J Morphol. 2013 Feb;274(2):175-93. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20086. Epub 2012 Oct 15.
Cornification in reptilian epidermis occurs through the deposition of keratin-associated beta-proteins (beta-keratins) onto a scaffold of intermediate filament keratins.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23065677

So is there a way to promote marbling?

 

[wellington]

Beautiful pics Jeff.

 

[N2TORTS]

So is there a way to promote marbling?

No......
melanocyte /mel·a·no·cyte/ (mel´ah-no-sīt) (mĕ-lan´o-sīt) any of the dendritic clear cells of the epidermis that synthesize tyrosinase and, within their melanosomes, the pigment melanin; the melanosomes are then transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes.melanocyt´ic dorland()
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. © 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc

 

[N2TORTS]

Beautiful pics Jeff.

Well thanks Barb......the early mornings are always "fun times" at the Cove'..

 

[N2TORTS]

I'd love to live a day in your life getting to be around these beautiful torts

David .....thanks for the Kuddo's .....your welcome to stop on by anytime ....although I might put ya to work ....

 

[wellington]

Hey Jeff, you can put me to work when I come to visit. I make a great supervisor

 

[Flipper]

That first pic is soooo majestic

 

[Bryan]

You have a number of exceptionally marbled individuals, very nice! I hope to add a couple of marbled females to my fairly heavily marbled male in the future.