baby blotchys

[Leigh]

Terrific colours and pattern,cant wait to see how they develope with age mate, sorry to hear about the loses,never good that.Keep posting the photos though.

[Funda]

There head scales and colour look like floor tiles

Very nice skink though



f.C

[Scotts1au]

Hi Colin

I had the same issue with some of my lowland blotchies years ago that some just never showed any interest in breeding, be they male or female. Interesting to see that Alpines are the same. Some bred each year, some alternate years.

Scott

[Fatal_S]

It is neat that they decide if they want to breed or not. Brings them up a level on the evolutionary scale. Maybe they felt they were low in a particular vitamin or something that year, that their bodies weren't up to the task, who knows. But that they didn't breed shows some great evolutionary tactics.

For example, mice and doves, both will continue to breed even if having babies/eggs is killing them.

Thinking along these lines, maybe BTS know more about their own genetics than we give them credit for. Take that mother BTS on the caresheet, who had an abnormal baby, and killed it. Maybe if they can tell something isn't right with themselves or the baby, so they wont allow this problem to continue? For that matter, maybe Lissa, the white northern, isn't anti-social, but maybe doesn't want to breed because of a defect?

Then again, chances are I'm just thinking deep thoughts while dozing at the computer. I just like the idea of a hard-wired failsafe for these guys. I mean I'm sure we could break it, we're humans and we like breaking things, but it would be neat if they had one to begin with.

[Geoff Gates]

Fatal,

In the wild blotchies tend to be bi-annual breeders.

Often, by the time a female has had her brood she does not get enough food before the colder weather forces her to brumate so she does not get enough condition to allow her to breed the following season. Occassionally this does happens in captivity too.

[Colin Hamilton]

Yeh thats right geoff,the wild blotches tend to have young in late february march depending on weather conditions which has an effect from year to year.Ive had them have young ones in december when its hot and in drought and females have more time to sun themselves.A little female with reddish blotches had six babys yesterday,the first clear sunny day in about a week with all the wet weather we have had.As geoff Gates has said,if a female has young in march in australia it will have little or no time almost to gain its weight back to breed the next year.

[Scotts1au]

Hi Colin
Don't forget me

Scott

[jasjmm27]

WOW, Blotchies are the cutest little babies!!!

[Leigh]

Those baby shedding pictures are too cool mate.

[Tattoo]

Such sweet little one. Gotta love those blotchie bubs.

[DeadEye]

BLOW me Away again , PEARLERS Colin , did you see them rippers born. CRIKEY I lub them

Happy Australia Day guys ..Wooo hoo Nice to see them Mate **Drools****** Oh Man

[MartinsPerson]

Oh my gracious Colin! They are charming! I'm quite in love with the little red scales on their heads. Didn't Lisa get Ralphie from you?

[Colin Hamilton]

Yeh Ralphie was one of mine god bless him or her?The one that had the babys in the last pics the little female in photo below.

[shingleback aus]

happy australia day all , nice alpine!!!!!!!

[Zach]

Hey there, Colin....

Outstanding shots..

[Richard.C]

beautiful alpines colin,sorry to hear about losing a female,ive only ever lost one young female after she gave birth,she had 1 deformed baby and 3 normals,was her first litter,but yeah she went from fat healthy to struggling as soon as she had them and never put on condition afterwards which was a shame,as she was from a previous litter years 4 years before,ive had my alpine female have 8 under developed babys 2 years ago,6 were born dead,2 died with in 2 weeks,they were almost transparent,but she has had bubs before then no probs and had 5 rippers last season,hoping for some more in the coming weeks from her as well,havnt been on here much of late,puter issues,it keeps freezing up when i try to get on,but im hoping to do some updates,anyways nice one colin,and im glad your hanging on to some,i find it hard to part with them myself,lol