Temperature dependant Sex determination

Certainly, as stated by Liam, all of us who breed this species can confirm that there is absolutely no evidence to support TDSD in them - or, indeed, any other Lacertid.

Incubation temperatures, combined with humidity and food availability/quality to the females certainly do affect hatchlings in other ways. This relationship is, however, very complex - as an example, in a previous year, I have had significantly larger hatchlings than another breeder although I used higher temperatures (albeit extremely variable ones). This, of course, is the opposite of what would be expected but also evidences the complex inter-relationship of the various factors.

So far as the weather is concerned the effect I am aware of on the captive breeding populations appears to have been profound. Limited feeding opportunities coupled with lack of "egg-cooking" basking weather have combined to produce late clutches, small clutches and clutches with a very low viability rate. Some adult females in some vivaria haven't even been seen for a number of weeks.

I would expect wild populations to be exhibiting the same problems although, of course, each and every wild and captive colony has its own micro-climate and some animals somewhere may have had a better season. Even so, there has to be a question mark over the success of natural incubation in these conditions.

Chris