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2 years would be just way to long for that.
I have talked to a few VERY experienced monitor keepers (30 years +) and they have never heard of any of the odataria subgenus retaining sperm for that long.
I have talked to a few VERY experienced monitor keepers (30 years +) and they have never heard of any of the odataria subgenus retaining sperm for that long.
Not being observed doesn't mean it can't happen. I'm sure there aren't too many goanna keepers who have kept their good breeding females in isolation for two years. It may not be possible but it's difficult to prove a negative.
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yeah I know mate,
which is why this egg is pretty exciting for me!
Also it wasnt known to be a female, and she left the others at 20cm tl
which is why this egg is pretty exciting for me!
Also it wasnt known to be a female, and she left the others at 20cm tl
HATCHMASTER
New Member
hey brodie,you could have the first amafrodite(male and female) hope i spelt that right.good luck with the egg anyway.
hey_im_sam
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Hermaphrodite
Fuscus
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Parthenogenesis is not unknown in herps, all flowerpot snakes are female and it has been recorded in both geckos and skinks. But my money is on the infertile horse, hope I'm wrong.
But has she been kept with any other species of goannas?
But has she been kept with any other species of goannas?
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Nope
Fuscus
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good
I'm running a parthenogenetic Bynoe's gecko through a metabolism rate test right now, I can see its stats on my monitor! I can calculate how much air it's using!
The parthenogenetic species are different species, not just occasional members of sexual species. All the parthenogenetic reptiles are obligate parthenogens aren't they? Although I've heard of the very rare case of it happening in snakes, through a meiosis mix up or such.
I didn't know the flower pot snakes were all female. Has anyone kept those? They must be easy to keep if they live in pot plant dirt.
As I recall, from some research I did into parthenogenesis at uni a few years back, parthenogenetic species do have males at some point. It appears that parthenogenesis may be an evolutionary adaptation to adverse conditions - small populations spread over a wide area (usually becasue of low resources) where encountering others of your species is a rare occurrence. In good years when there is plenty of food and populations are not so widespread, males reproduce with the females in the usual sexual fashion, and when the adverse conditions return the females start reproducing parthenogentically again. If they happen to bump into a male, then obviously they would take advantage of the opportunity to mate.
One of the things that was emphasized in most of the papers I read was: despite popular opinion to the contrary, there are always males - but because of their low numbers compared to females they are often not seen and people believe the population to be entirely female. From an evolutionary standpoint, an entirely female population - with no males at all - is a recipe for a quick extinction.
And for those that are interested, almost every parthenogenetic species is polyploid.
Hix
One of the things that was emphasized in most of the papers I read was: despite popular opinion to the contrary, there are always males - but because of their low numbers compared to females they are often not seen and people believe the population to be entirely female. From an evolutionary standpoint, an entirely female population - with no males at all - is a recipe for a quick extinction.
And for those that are interested, almost every parthenogenetic species is polyploid.
Hix
Hix, that's not quite the case. In fact, the geckoes I'm working on in the lab right this minute are obligate parthenogens, that it, the species has no males and is incapable of reproducing sexually.
Other species are as you describe (facultative parthenogens). I'm not sure but I believe most of the parthenogenetic insects are facultative rather than obligate parthenogens. Many of the facultative parthenogens reproduce sexually far more frequently than asexually. I know there are species of aphids and sun moths which are all female, I'm not sure if this is because they are incapable of breeding with males or if the males became extinct, but they've been shown to have existed as all female for a very long time (at least in the thousands of years).
I've noticed that there seems to be a male bias in the sexually produced stick insects that I breed and I have wondered if this is to make up for the individuals produced parthenogenetically (which are all female). If the assumption that a sex ratio of 50-50 is the target (which may not be the case), then sexing all the sexually produced offspring might allow you to calculate the average proportion of sexual vs asexual reproduction in the species over the past few thousand years. Well, it may or may not be flawed in one or more ways, but there's one of my little ponderings
Other species are as you describe (facultative parthenogens). I'm not sure but I believe most of the parthenogenetic insects are facultative rather than obligate parthenogens. Many of the facultative parthenogens reproduce sexually far more frequently than asexually. I know there are species of aphids and sun moths which are all female, I'm not sure if this is because they are incapable of breeding with males or if the males became extinct, but they've been shown to have existed as all female for a very long time (at least in the thousands of years).
I've noticed that there seems to be a male bias in the sexually produced stick insects that I breed and I have wondered if this is to make up for the individuals produced parthenogenetically (which are all female). If the assumption that a sex ratio of 50-50 is the target (which may not be the case), then sexing all the sexually produced offspring might allow you to calculate the average proportion of sexual vs asexual reproduction in the species over the past few thousand years. Well, it may or may not be flawed in one or more ways, but there's one of my little ponderings
Sdaji said:
Do you mean physical changes have been made to prevent them from reproducing sexually, or just that there are no males?
Sdaji said:
Umm.....interesting idea - how would you calculate that?
Hix
Yes. Sperm can't fertilise their ova, if they got in there (eg sperm from a different species) the zygote would be tetraploid.
Well, say that... er...um... crap... I can't work out the formula after only 1.5 hours of sleep - horrific nightmare disturbed sleep at that! But I'm pretty sure it could be calculated fairly easily!
Shamus
Not so new Member
Sdaji said:
AGAMIDAE
Very Well-Known Member
Well I hope it all goes well....alot of reptiles have this incredible ability to store sperm for long periods...and will produce eggs when the conditions is right, but not to get your hopes up some will only produce slugs childrens and water python do this frequently....but look at the bright side least you know what sex SHE is, monitors are hard to sex at the best of times.
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