I've always been under the impression that high incubation temperatures increase
melanin in the hatchlings. Several years ago I read a well documented article
about incubation, mostly pertaining to leopard geckos, but I somewhere along the
way I lost track of it. The general idea was that males tend to hatch out with
more melanin, since they are incubated at higher temps. The author suggested
that hypo-melanistic males would be harder to produce than females. He (she?)
apparently incubated males at higher temps for only about 2 weeks, then lowered
it, which is probably what most of us do. But his reasoning was also to cut back
on melanin production in hopes of producing a hypo male.
Lately I've been reading that high temps make for lighter and brighter colours,
and that hypo females would be hard to produce. Since incubating at higher
temperatures after the initial two weeks of low temps could produce 'hot
females' which isn't desirable, hypo females will be hard to come by.
That's the complete opposite of what I've been thinking all these years. It
would make more sense for high temps to influence melanin, but who am I to
argue? Does anyone know for sure which way it goes? I realize genetics will
affect darn near everything, but what effect, if any, does temperature have in
this case?
Hilde
--
~*~***~*~
I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.
###########################################################################
THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV
WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/
The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings.
###########################################################################
