<< The book, Geckoes, talks about someone inbreeding pictus to the 13
(not exactly sure, in the ballpark) generation without noting any ill
effects.>>
Actually I think that Erin Shroeder in Germany has now bred the species to
about the 30th generation without any ill-effects whatsoever. Geckoes by
Henkel and Schmidt was originally written and published in Germany in 1991.
Shroeder has been around a long time and keeping pictus the whole way.
Jon
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 1:53 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Gecko] pictus inbreeding
Inbreeding certainly causes problems. The question is when it causes
problems. The book, Geckoes, talks about someone inbreeding pictus to the
13
(not exactly sure, in the ballpark) generation without noting any ill
effects. By selecting the strongest individuals, the colony lasted and may
still be going! An interesting thing about pictus is how females can mate
once and have all the sperm needed to lay eggs for the rest of their lives.
I believe pictus are the food for most of the larger animals where they
live.
If a whole pictus population is exterminated, a single female has the
means
to correct it and so maybe they have evolved to withstand inbreeding?
just some thoughts,
daniel
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