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View Full Version : Hibernation and infertility



jmiles50
12-18-2008, 06:18 PM
So, I've read some info that suggested females skipping a hibernation can result in infertility. Now it seemed a little far fetched to me, but I'm no expert :? Has anyone else heard of that :?:

worldeater
12-18-2008, 06:59 PM
yep supposedly, a female that doesn't hibernate her first year will have stretched reproductive organs from growing too fast, rendering them infertile.

honestly, i think it's bull. for one, even if they don't hibernate they don't really grow anyway. seems like tegus only grow half the year.

also, don't you think if growing too fast had the ability to stretch organs then other parts of their bodys would suffer as well? why just the reproductive organs?

also, columbians and blues don't hibernate and they breed fine.

jmiles50
12-18-2008, 11:42 PM
I ask because I might wanna breed her someday, and I don't want her to skip hibernation. She's still eating the same and roaming all day. She comes out right now a little later in the morning, but that's the only change. Should I help her start the hibernation process by shortening The light schedule?

worldeater
12-19-2008, 10:41 PM
lol, you can try. i tried to keep my hatchling awake and to get groxy to hibernate, but they decided to do the exact opposite, jokers sleepy and groxy's hungry. seems to me they will decide if they want to go down for winter or not. not really in your control. you can try to shorten the light schedual, might even work.

tupinambis
12-22-2008, 07:01 AM
Worldeater, you're quite correct, the "infertility because of stretched gonads" is nothing but what a bunch of total and utter Varnyard fabricated nonsense.

First, infertility implies a permanent state, essentially damaged organs that can never again be capable of reproduction. This is not so, several members have shown in a number of tegus that were not hibernated one year, but hibernated a following year, that they can successfully reproduce.

Secondly, the gonads are NOT strongly attached to anything in order to get stretched by rapid growth. I've presented this "theory" to many professional types (biologists, doctors, nurses, veterinarians...), I'm sure Bobby would be upset at how many guffaws it has elicited. Without any solid structure to "stretch" them, then what would be the justification for why soft tissue would grow in one dimension but not any others in a manner to induce damage?!?!? Ludicrous. Whether a gonad is round or oval will not affect gamete production.

What REALLY happens makes far more sense and is readily understandable. If you remember back to high school biology, particularly reproductive biology, the functioning of your gonads and gametogenesis is regulated by cycling hormones (and if you don't remember, this is an example of why you should have been paying attention). In mammals similar to us, once we reach puberty, those cycles are typically continuous, and so we can reproduce at any time of the year. Other organisms, such as tegus, rely on the environment to give them the proper cues for hormone release which then sets the cycle for reproduction. Therefore, if they don't hibernate, they don't release the proper hormone at the proper time, and therefore their gonads do not start gametogenesis and therefore they don't reproduce. Although
Tupinambis teguixin supposedly don't hibernate, they DO only reproduce at one time of the year, indicating their reproductive hormones are cycling with the seasons and that they rely on external cues for proper gametogenesis.

jmiles50
12-22-2008, 09:00 PM
That was an awesome reply :!: Very informative, and detailed. I didn't hear that from Varnyard, but I did think it sounded unusual :P

camb
01-02-2009, 01:46 AM
So my girl doesn't seem to be hibernating this year but I haven't daly do anything to induce it. But if she hibernates in the years to come she will be able to breed?m

MizM
04-26-2009, 07:42 PM
I'm interested in this too. Neither my male or female hibernated and wondering if they will mate. They are just now starting to pig out and be really active and I'm getting ready to move them outside. Hoping I can have little grandteggies this year!

tupinambis
04-26-2009, 09:40 PM
If there is no "down time", they likely will not breed successfully. But yes, in the future, if they hibernate, they should readily reproduce.

MizM
04-26-2009, 10:32 PM
I intend to hibernate them starting this year. I just bought the male, and the female was a rescue from California. Neither prior owner took the time to find out how to care for them. :(

Well, they have this year to get to know each other better! :D