| Author |
Message |
Patricia Slayton
Member
65 posts
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# Posted: 1 Apr 2008 04:22
My three mint green P. terribilis, which are about three years old now, have shown breeding activity and a lot of calling in the past month. I am unsure of the ratio of male to female, because both sexes make a lot of noise, but think it is 2:1. They are so identical in body habitus, it's been difficult to sort them out individually. They are in an 80 gallon bow tank that is heavily planted with a rather large open ground space where they usually hang out and feed. What I assume to be the males have been hanging out on the upper regions of some broad bromeliad leaves and axils, and I've even seen what I assume to be a female following one of them up into his lair, so that's where I've been expecting to find eggs. Instead, I'm finding them scattered all over the ground in the center of the open feeding area, as if the female (or females, such as the case may be) are just hopping along eating and dumping eggs hither and thither as if they were pooping them out at random, right in the decayed leaf litter, or occasionally in a precarious position on a begonia stem or trodden down Selaginella leaf. They are either single eggs or in groups of no more than two or three.
I've recovered some of them and put them in Sterilite containers with the usual treatment that has been successful with azureus for me, and oddly enough, they seem to mostly be fertile and developing, although there hasn't been time enough to see any hatching out yet. They have very little gel around them compared to azureus, galactonotus, or imitators.
My question is: Is this random, scattered-over-the-ground type egg laying normal for P. terribilis? All the rest of my dart frogs always seem to have a more organized plan, especially after a long session of foreplay, enticing to a specific site, etc., that the P. terribilis male seemed to be doing. Or is my female just a "ho?"
Patty |
MegophryidaeMan
Member
2559 posts
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# Posted: 1 Apr 2008 05:51
I have never heard of this. Maybe because they are her first clutches she is a little unsure of what to do? Very strange indeed.
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froggy 60
Member
741 posts
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# Posted: 1 Apr 2008 20:52
can you post a pic so we can see?
3 axolotls,1 ??? reed frog,1clown tree frogs,1 american toads, 3 Crested geckos , 2 fire belliednewt, 2 brown bullheaded catfish, 6 firebellied toads, 2 canaries, 2 Red eared sliders, 2 Yellow spotted salamanders |
Patricia Slayton
Member
65 posts
|
# Posted: 2 Apr 2008 03:18
I've removed the current eggs without taking pictures of them before hand, so what kind of pictures would be helpful at this point? If I find some more scattered all over in the next few days, I will do this. Would pictures of the each different frog be helpful? They are all healthy, active and alert, and all look identical in color, body habitus and posture. None has any distinguishing pattern markings. Whenever they see me, they tend to pose like lens lice in an appealing begging stance, because they know who the food guy is. Much like trying to take candid photos of humans, these fellows are very aware of one's presence and change their attitudes to focus toward me, rather than continue what they are doing. They don't leap away, because they are not the least bit afraid or shy, but neither do they allow their current activity, even sex, to interfere with the apparently much stronger stimulus of the possibility of a fruit fly McMuffin in the very near future. Both sexes vocalize, although differently, but even if you see one doing the full-on male sex call, with his expanded throat, the next time you see him, he will look just like everyone else. None are sick or debilitated, so there is nothing helpful to see. Or at least I don't think there is.
This is just a really un-dart-like way to go about laying eggs. As MegophyrdaeMan pointed out, perhaps she just hasn't got it right yet.
I'll keep you posted, on new events, and thanks for your interest and resonses.
Patty |
kerokero
Member
618 posts
|
# Posted: 2 Apr 2008 16:09
What do you have in the way of honeymoon huts? If you don't give them a bower, or not one they like, they can often scatter eggs where ever and may not care for them. There could be other things, but usually when given enough bowers they like, they don't just scatter them. The coco huts may be too small for them (since many on the market just don't fit two adult terribs comfortably) and I know a number of breeders that switched to larger clay pots with holes knocked into the side for bowers. They love them. Toss two (in case there are multiple girls causing the issue) in the tank in different areas of the tank and see what happens.
The buggers are nearly impossible to sex... especially since you usually can't tell them apart by pattern!
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Patricia Slayton
Member
65 posts
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# Posted: 2 Apr 2008 16:59
Thanks for the suggestions, Corey. They don't have "huts" per say, but there are a lot of natural caves and hides, along with many large Neoregelia bromes with wide vases and axils. This morning I finally found a true clutch deposited in the center of a large brome on top of the spent bloom, which is where the male has apparently been trying to lead the lady for ages now. She may just not have liked the decor and had to get used to it. In any event, I'm leaving them there for awhile since they are easily visible without disturbing anything until I can see how and if they are developing.
Patty |
kerokero
Member
618 posts
|
# Posted: 2 Apr 2008 17:34
It sounds like you need to put some actual huts in there... in the middle of a brom is not where a terrib clutch should be found. I'd try some of the clay pots. The fact that they didn't use any of the natural caves and hides means there was something about them that were not really appropriate... putting the huts in should help you get consistant clutches in the same places and all together.
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Patricia Slayton
Member
65 posts
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2008 06:41
Thank you very much, Corey. I will try that.
Patty |
rct
Member
1805 posts
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2008 19:54
You tell a good tale. I laughed so hard at your end comment.
Or is my female just a "ho?"
rosie
4 WTFs
2 RETFs
1 Tiger-Legged Monkey TF
3 Big-Eyed TF
3Pacman(Albino,Ornate,Fantasy
4 Tomato Frogs
2 R. Reinwardtii
1 Pyxie Frog
3 Waxy Monkey TF
2 Hyperolius fusciventris
6 Melanophryniscus stelzneri
4 Hyla Marmorata |
