Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just observed my first "froggy love" dance. I dont know how much I saw but the male was rubbing the female in a booty dance. I have never seen them do that before but I guess I have a pair. I did not have a Deposition site because I was not aware of a pair but now that I see breeding...

How long after a mating dance does the female lay eggs????

I saw the dance now Im just wondering how long after.

Thanks in advance

Anything in particular I should be looking at right now?>?????

cresty

Have you heard any calling? I think with the first time, they may fool around like this for up to several days before she lays any eggs, and after that, he may take several hours to a day or so to fertilize them. I believe most of the tinctorius do prefer an upturned coco shell or something of that nature to lay eggs in, although my azureus (which are either very closely related, or actually a tinctorius, depending upon the particular taxonomic view point) lay on large, sturdy, live plant leaves right in the open. They might like a few oak leaves in something like a petri dish under the hut.

Don't be disappointed if the first few tries don't produce viable eggs. It sometimes takes them a few times before they get it right. Infertile eggs will turn a pale grey or white, and the fertile ones will have a black center, from which you will see a center line and tail form. Within a week or so, you may see the developing tads wriggle around a bit inside the gel. I think it's best to separate the infertile eggs and discard them so their molding away doesn't affect the others. This can be pretty tricky because the gel is so sticky. A clean razor blade may help.

This is just my experience with the azureus, but I've found that leaving the eggs where they are for a few days before removing them to raise yourself seems to improve their chances. The dad will take care of them and keep them moist. I think this contact probably discourages fungus attacks, which seems to be the main problem in getting the eggs to the hatching stage.

Although the tinctorius males do care for the eggs and transport the tads to a waterway in the wild, I don't think this works very well in captivity. With the azureus, I usually cut off the section of leaf the eggs are on and very gently scrape the developing eggs off into a deli-cup or petri dish, keeping them in the same orientation, right side up. I prefer a somewhat deeper deli-cup to a petri dish. I rinse them off a bit with some water with black water extract and just a little methylene blue added, then leave them just barely damp until most of the "yolk" portion of the developing tads has been diminished and they seem to be ready for leaving the gel. Then I gradually increase the amount of water, but not quite enough to cover the eggs entirely until they seem to be breaking through the gel. When the appear to be emerging, I increase the water depth to fully cover them, and at this time, add some Java moss.

If you have more than one tadpole, you should separate them as they emerge into different deli-cups, as I understand the tinc tads are cannibalistic. (I don't separate the azureus however, and they've never seemed to bother each other.) You can feed them with a variety of foods that should include algaes such as spirulina and chlorella. The commercial Frog & tadpole bites, tropical fish flake are other additions and options. I use a turkey baster to partially change the water and suck up the detritus every couple of days. "Instant Amazon" black water extract, just enough to barely color the water a light tan, seems to have added a great deal to successful hatching out and subsequent raising. Some people use tadpole tea made from soaking oak leaves in water.

This is just what was eventually successful for me, not necessarily the only way to do it. It's also a lot more information than you asked for--sorry about that-- I get carried away.

Good luck and enjoy your own experiences, and be sure to keep sharing them.
-----
Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue
D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
D. imitator
D. leucomelas
D. pumilio Bastimentos
D. fantasticus
P. terribilis mint and organe
D. reticulatus
D. castaneoticus
D. azureus
P vittatus
P. lugubris

Thanks Patty. Well my eyes were glued to their viv all day yesterday and I was laughing like crazy. The reason for this was that (I am not sure of the female chases the male or the male chases the female) but it loooked like a highway chase all around the tank. One would chase the other and the other would hop away. On one instances one caught the other and grabbed on while the other escaped hopping, it looked like one frog was riding a bucking bronco, it was hilarious. I put a petri with a hut now. I have never heard calling from them. A few months ago I did purchase a female and 2 weeks later she was dead. I thought it was stress from transport but now I think it was a female in the viv that stressed her out. Im really excited and hope it does produce eggs. I dont care if they are not fertile, I will consider them practice for the real one's. Thanks.

Do you prep your egg raising container ahead of time???

cresty

Other than washing and rinsing well, I do let a solution of methylene blue sit in them for a few hours, then pour it out before adding the eggs. I don't know if this does any good or not, but what I'm doing is working now, so I just do what finally worked for me after a few abortive tries.
-----
Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue
D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
D. imitator
D. leucomelas
D. pumilio Bastimentos
D. fantasticus
P. terribilis mint and organe
D. reticulatus
D. castaneoticus
D. azureus
P vittatus
P. lugubris