One Egg- Two Noses: Tri Hoggy(ies)

[Nanci]

These events unfolded yesterday and today in the Florida Panhandle. I was refreshing the webpage every five minutes since I saw the picture, until the eventual outcome was revealed.

Here's the proud mama pictured with her second clutch of the year. The clutch we are interested in had seven eggs and one slug. It was her first clutch.



After 76 days, at 80F, this clutch of Tri-Color Hognose Snakes (Lystrophis pulcher) began hatching. Before the first little guy emerged, the second egg pipped.





Notice anything different? The breeder is now freaking out! Is it a two-headed snake? Conjoined twins? Identical, separate twins?

While we are waiting, egg #1 hatches. The hatchling proceeds to race around the container, burying all the other eggs, then escapes from the clutch container, then escapes from the incubator through a slit that wires run through (first escape ever for this breeder) and then hides under a potted plant, where he is recovered from.

Hatchling #1, weighing in at 5 grams and 7.89"



The twin egg is separated from the others, but no new information is gained.



Looks pretty crowded in there, doesn't it? At 5AM, I quickly check the thread, but there is no news. I check about every five minutes all morning, and finally we have results!



It's twins, one 2 grams, one 3 grams, both about 5" long, appearing to be identical right down to their little zigzags!



Have you ever seen anything so cool??

Here is the proud papa:



Nanci