Triplet update--separation

Status
Not open for further replies.

cdmay

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
1,945
Location (City and/or State)
Somewhere in Florida
It's good to have a vet who is also a personal friend. Dr. Dale Porcher and I have known each other since we were little kids in the 1960's so when I e-mailed him this morning with the triplet dilemma and photos he said, "Yeah, bring them in and let's separate them." I put the little guys in a bowl and drove over to his office. I don't mind admitting that I was shaking like a leaf the whole time for fear of injuring the neonates somehow. Dr. Porcher is also a reptile person and he breeds ball python (foo!) morphs. It took less than five minutes for him to tie off each hatchling. You can see the clipped off ends of the sutures in this photo...

DSC08544.jpg


...but it did take a lot of hands to hold them while he did the knot tying...

DSC08542.jpg


Right after the cuts were made. Each neonate is now free and has its own little yolk sac...

DSC08545.jpg


I appreciate all of the very nice comments that have been made about these hatchlings and we will do our best to keep them going. They are very tiny and the weights are as follows: The two larger neonates are both 14 grams. The really little one is only 4 grams. That's not much bigger than a mud turtle hatchling. I will get measurements in a couple of days. Right now they are all back in the incubator.
As for the genetics and whether or not they are identical and so forth, those kind of things are beyond me. I really don't know but I'm sure others do.
 

jackrat

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
2,321
Location (City and/or State)
Hamburg,AR
I've learned a lot from this whole thing,Carl. Thanks for sharing it.
 

sahdjb

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
44
Location (City and/or State)
St. Petersburg, FL
Yay!!!! Glad to hear that they are still doing well! Please, keep the pics and updates coming!
 

Guggie

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
294
Location (City and/or State)
Vernon Hills, IL
Good news. Wow - that little one is SURE little. Has anyone ever seen one so small??
 

Iliketuwtles

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
17
How amazing! and only 4 grams?? Wow! I have a thing for runts, so I just want to take 'im and keep 'im forever!
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
wow I wonder if the little one is some type of record? here is hoping they make it.
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
Dr. Porcher rocks! I'm sure he was excited to see the three, something different than boring cats and dogs. This whole experience has been so fascinating. Keep up the updates! I wonder if the runt will always be smaller, develop/mature smaller, in essence a real "dwarf" cherryhead...curiouser and curiouser.
 

Momof4

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
9,709
Location (City and/or State)
San Diego
That is good news!! I'm so happy their all doing well. Please keep the updates coming we all love this.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Amazing!

Every so often we get a question regarding separating twins. Now we have your beautiful pictures and commentary to go by.

I'm so happy you've posted this in pictorial for us. Thank you!
 

Torty Mom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,821
Location (City and/or State)
Bakersfield, California
Awesome!!! They are sooo teeny tiny and CUTE!!!! I love the little guy, but I am a sucker for the underdog!! Thanks for sharing all of this, truly amazing! I hope they make it!!!
 

Edna

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
1,536
Location (City and/or State)
Rawlins, Wyoming
Wow! 4 grams is really tiny. My students and I once weighed worms, the little ones from the bait fridge at the store. The bigger ones, not yet night crawler size, weighed 1-2 grams. So your little guy is the equivalent of 2-4 garden worms. TINY!! Best wishes to all 3 of the little ones:)
 

Kristina

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
5,383
Location (City and/or State)
Cadillac, Michigan
I thought my 7 gram Greek was tiny... holy cow.

I really hope for the best. I really would like to see that tiny one make it through.
 

AnthonyC

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
2,513
Location (City and/or State)
New York
PLEASE keep the pictures coming! It's like a cliff hanger... I can't wait to see what happens next!!!
 

natty01

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
35
omg they are totally adorable, the tiny one is amazing ! ive never seen anything that small besides a bug or a snail lol its truly amazing . i hope they make it , i have no idea what the size of a normal tortoise baby is but that teeny one is a marvel whats his name ?

can i please have permission to share the picture on another pet forum ? its so amazing i didnt even know tortoises could have triplets , the more people who see them the more people will be rooting for there servival and that has to be a good thing.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top