allman_p
Eric, I’m not sure about d.t. but I can tell you about sea turtles. The female has a “special” area in the oviduct that allows sperm to be stored for up to a few years. Not only does this allow the turtle to fertilize eggs of several clutches from the same male, but it also gives the possibility for a specific clutch to be fertilized by several males. I think this is true with snapping turtles, but not sure about d.t. My guess is that many species of turtles possess this ability. Just a note, this ability is actually seen in some salamanders as well!!! Phil Allman Environmental Specialist Collier County Natural Resources Naples, Florida 34112 —–Original Message—– From: Eric T. Mattimoe [mailto:timothy@…] Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 6:18 PM To: ‘diamondbackterrapins@egroups.com’ Subject: [diamondbackterrapins] Turtle genetics question Hi, Just reading the posts when this question popped up. I’ve read on other turtle boards that once a turtle has mated it can produce fertile eggs for several years after the mating. Does this mean that in a single ‘clutch’ (is that correct?) a turtle can lay eggs that have been fertilized by different fathers? I heard of this before but I don’t think it was in any reptile species. Thanks Eric To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: diamondbackterrapins-unsubscribe@egroups.com