My New Gpp

[Tom]

Great pictures. That is quite a contrast in the amount of pyramiding.

Yes. The female is pretty typical of leopards raised here in the states. I'm trying to get more details on what kind of early care the male had. I suspect he was raised outside on a landscaped and irrigated lawn which would have generated a fair amount of humidity. Also, that area has a fair amount of morning dew too.

 

[ticothetort2]

That's awesome, thanks for sharing parent pics. I still have trouble deciphering between GPP/GPB in adults.

So was there only one egg that you were trying to hatch or will be seeing others in the near future?

 

[JeffG]

RE: My New Gpp

Is it common for the pyramiding to be so pronounced on the first few vertebral scutes, and not at the rear? If she was pyramided on her rear vertebral scutes as bad as she is up front, it is hard to imagine that she would have been able to breed.

 

[Tom]

That's awesome, thanks for sharing parent pics. I still have trouble deciphering between GPP/GPB in adults.

So was there only one egg that you were trying to hatch or will be seeing others in the near future?

Because of the hybridizing AND all the different "types" of leopards that have been imported over all the years it is nearly impossible to tell in many cases. This would certainly be one of those cases. Cory told me early on that these two were pp, but since there is no way to verify it, I just sort of shrugged. Every once in a while an obvious one will come along. 24" long and very dark. Despite arguments from others, I see a big difference in their behavior too, but when you consider the hybrid, who knows what behavior it will show. Plus one could always encounter a very outgoing babcocki or a very shy pp. Its when looking at and considering ALL of these factors that a reasonably good educated guess can be made.

These guys are 17" long. That would be pretty big for a babcocki (I'm only talking about the type available in the pet trade in the US). They aren't that dark, but most of the true, verifiable pp that have been imported in to this country aren't very dark either. What convinced me is the baby that these two threw. It shows all the characteristics of a pp hatchling. And don't forget that I did do the two month cool diapause for the eggs too. Even though I am "convinced" that these two are pp, it cannot be verified. This just makes it an educated guess at best. ALL the indicators say pp to me and none of them say pb or hybrid.

They were only together in the pen at Cory's for a few months and then they were moved again. Typically all that moving tends to throw off breeding efforts, but anything is possible. The one breeding should keep her producing fertile eggs for the next three years and that was only her first clutch. He still breeds her all the time and he is the only male she has ever been with, so yes, we should see more babies in the future. This will also verify the pp theory further, or give us reason to dispute it.

 

[onarock]

Can be very difficult Tico. Some say that gpp need to be over 20" and reach at least 50lbs.

I have 3 female babcocki. 2 of them are over 17" and weigh 33 and 35 pounds. The other is just under 17" and weighs 26 pounds. Now a 17" male babcocki, I have nevre seen one, don't think Ive even heard of one. As far as personality between them go, I think it varies animal to animal. But, if you read posts on here of those who keep them both and have for a while, its apparent that there really is no difference in general personlality traits. There has been a bunch of hear-say statments that contradict, but nothing much or at all written.

You can do a simulated diapause break with just about any tortoise egg, as far as I know, and it will still hatch. So, cooling them for a month or two and having a successful hatch doesn't really mean anything.

I know its not solicited, but if you ask me, that female looks babcocki. It would be interesting to know the tortoises age. Maybe its posted on here.

Whatever it is, its a Beautiful Little Hatchling

That's awesome, thanks for sharing parent pics. I still have trouble deciphering between GPP/GPB in adults.

 

[yagyujubei]

I know that there have been numerous mentions of "dark" when it comes to GPP> What I don't understand, is exactly what is meant by "dark". Is the reference saying that GPP's have more dark markings in their pattern? Or is the reference to tortoises in South Africa that are overall a dark brownish red, and the pattern is muted. If the former is the case, I haven't seen anything that would sway me to believe that the patterns are darker. If the latter is the case, it's no coincidence that the ones in South Africa are that color. Simply look at the color of the dirt there. The same. New growth on them is the standard black and white. These tortoises live for years in purplish brown clay and dirt, soak in the same color mud. If they lived in Georgia under the same conditions, they'd be stained red.

 

[Tortuga_terrestre]

The males looks to be 90% P.P. but the female is clearly 100% P.babcocki.[/i]

 

[Missy]

Tom is that the mom and dad of the little one i'm getting from you? I can't wait!

 

[african cake queen]

hi & wow, how sweet is that! lindy

 

[Tom]

Tom is that the mom and dad of the little one i'm getting from you? I can't wait!

That's the dad, but the mom is a regular babcocki.

 

[african cake queen]

Congrats Tom, is this the first GPP that you have hatched yourself?

Yes! And now I want MORE!!! I know where the parents are and I'm trying to put together a 1.3 group of adults right now.

ha ha , now you got it bad! good luck, lindy

 

[ticothetort2]

How's this little guy doing Tom? I know everyone is interested to see his progress in the last couple of weeks.

 

[DeanS]

Tom offered me a chance to take some of these last year...and I reluctantly declined. I am, afterall, a die hard sulcata man! But, the idea has NEVER fully escaped me...

 

[ticothetort2]

Tom offered me a chance to take some of these last year...and I reluctantly declined. I am, afterall, a die hard sulcata man! But, the idea has NEVER fully escaped me...

Do you mean the eggs Dean? Or the Gpp's that him and Cory had?

 

[Tom]

How's this little guy doing Tom? I know everyone is interested to see his progress in the last couple of weeks.

He's doing great! I haven't been taking pics because I'm trying to finish a big project (I'll do a big post on it), But he/she (I hate saying "it") has been getting sun and soaks daily.

Dean is talking about last year's Gpp.

 

[DeanS]

Yes! Last year's...I should have clarified!

 

[ticothetort2]

Good to hear, I look forward to seeing the new BIG project and updates on this little dude.

 

[pugsandkids]

Oo, beautiful Tom. I still want one when available!

 

[gmayor]

He is so little

 

[Tom]

Well he's a little older and the "sun tan" thing is definitely happening. He's up to 45 grams now.