Skink Surprise: Young Hatch Early when Eggs are Disturbed

[findi]

Hi All,
Herpetologists studying Australia’s Delicate Skink (Lampropholis delicata) discovered, quite by accident, that this species’ embryos somehow sense danger when their eggs are disturbed. In response, the tiny lizards erupt en masse – even if they are not quite ready to hatch! Also employed by Red-Eyed Treefrog tadpoles (Agalychnis callidryas, please see photo) this unique strategy is just one of many new discoveries indicating that reptile and amphibian embryos are more aware of their environments than we imagined (the embryos of some turtles even seek heat within the egg – please see article linked below). The fact that the Delicate Skink is a very common species, and that the discovery was made in a park near Sydney, Australia, also shows the value of studying animals that are near-at-hand – all hold secrets! Read the rest of this article here: http://bit.ly/1aQNrhu

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Thanks, Frank Indiviglio

 

[bugmankeith]

How do they survive if they are underdeveloped?

 

[Vinegaroonie]

So cool! But kinda sad because I guess they would die when they hatch undeveloped...

 

[Biollantefan54]

That is pretty cool right there, I wonder how they can know that they are disturbed, I would think there brain wouldn't be developed enough to detect anything.

 

[Malhavoc's]

How do they survive if they are underdeveloped?

There is mostly a threshold where the sudden hatch occurs, where they would be capable of moving and running before bursting from the egg, and even than I am guessing as lizards are highly regenerative their body would kick into over drive to survive growing as needed rapidly,

 

[sr20det510]

ANy video/pics of the skinks emerging?

 

[findi]

Hi All,

great thoughts, thanks. It's a risk, as with red-eyed treefrog tads..starting life outside before fully ready vs almost sure death by predation. As someone mentioned, there may be a jump start to the metabolism as well...this is a great idea, not established yet but some herps are capable of similar -some tiger salamander larvae develop wider jaws and longer teeth as pools dry up; this allows them to consume other larvae as opossed to insects, and to grow faster; they also seem to choose non-relatives as prey (if any are vailable, that is!), Best, Frank