Newt twins!! two sets still in eggs

i have found a set of twin larvae a few weeks back (these are c.e.popei) and thought it was an interesing novelty but today i found another set-i have webcam pics of both. i am wondering if there is any merit in raising each set separately to see how they will turn out? i know in many animals latent gene expression exisits and so if they were identical they may still look different, the newer eggs are definatly 2 separate eggs, i am unsure if the older set was from one egg that split or also 2 eggs in 1 eggsac. both have larger than usual egg sacs (to account for having 2 inside) and i believe that identical twins-since split from the same egg-would be smaller than usual-right?

i wont bore you with another picture-but who ever is laying these twin eggs did it again, i wonder if its a resource conservation issue?-i have 2 very gravid females and if they have a high egg mass perhaps its more economical for them to process 2 eggs per jelly?

Hi Paris-

I'm not sure from the photo- but do these eggs look like two embryos in one sac, or two sacs 'glued' together?

I've had the odd double-yolked egg in the past from Triturus species. These have obviously been one sac- they were the normal oval shape, but had two embryos. I've never had one hatch successfully.

Hi Paris,

I`m a zoologist at the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ). You can find us at www.cfz.org.uk. Would you mind if I printed the double egg pictures in our journal?

jon downes

Real twin eggs are not rare in Newts - two fused together. Usually one shrinks toward hatching but they both eventually die. Your case just looks like two in the same jelly - that's just the mother laying them and making a booboo when coating them in the liquid that becomes jelly.

sure you can use the photograph. as for calebs question they are 2 eggs in 1 sac -definitly, the older ones that are near hatching can be seen to wiggle about each other in the jelly. i do think it may be a coating issue like JC mentioned. im going to check on this from now on-i think since i have 3 sets like this that it is one females doing-i will keep an eye on the mortality issue though-since 2 sets are still in the round ball stage -no heads or tails yet. the origional pair look like they may hatch any day now.

i have another issue though concerning these popei hatchlings...i have some that once they hatch from the eggs still have a curve to them from sitting inside the egg -has any one else had this issue and will it go away ? i see some still curved but am not sure if they are the same that hatched that way or new ones just hatched.