Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,

Has anyone had much luck with breeding these? Ive had my little colony of 6 for about a year now and was curious on how to go about this. Should I lower my temps for a few months to induce a hibernation (like with other amphibians?)Ive checked around on a few websites without luck. Any info would be apreciated. Thx for your time.

I've kept these at work for over 12 years now with multiple reproductions. Things you need to know, gestation is between 10 and 11 months and the adults will eat the offspring. Youngest recorded age to partition is 18 months but is usually closer to 24 months.
Reproduction can be stimulated in the same manner as with many tropical fish by doing a large water change with distiled or RO water.
There is an article in one of the older Reptilia magazines on the care and breeding of this species (http://www.reptilia.net/html_english/ultimo_numero.asp?num=17) You can probably still order a copy of the issue.

Ed

Hi there:

I highly recommend that if you are interested in breeding this species that you contact the curator of reptiles at the Toledo Zoo. Their colony of perhaps over 20 gave birth to a good number of young. They kept the offspring with the adults, and I did not see any problems, but just stay on the safe side. I am not going to say anything I am not sure of.
I was excited to see breeding activity and talked with some keepers about it. I do not work in the Toledo Zoo. In fact I live in a different state, but I still try to go visit as much as I can.
Ed, what you said about the parents eating the offspring is quite interesting. You may have unlocked a whole new door to the study of caecilian intelligence. The colony that I observed may have "known better" than some others. This may show that these creatures can make judgements and decisions. Some may learn how to do various things.
On caecilian.org I am pretty sure that I saw a photo of a mother caecilian beside her baby. You might want to check that out. But seriously, you may have started the beginning to a great discovery!

DAVE

Hi Dave,
In the USA Zoos, Philly (where I work) actually beat Toledo in the first reproduction of this species.
I personally observed a female T. natans grab a new born and consume it in addition with the group I recently aquired (at home) I managed to save one baby this time but found several sets of gills in the tank. As I was able to search the entire tank, and there were no other offspring I can only surmise that these also were consumed by the adults.

One of the Zoos (who shall remain nameless) with an early reproduction, indicated that they thought the offspring did not need to be fed as they thought they observed the offspring scraping slime off of the adults (ala discus). No other institution has ever observed this and subsequent observations at the initial Zoo.

A couple of years ago I had over 40 offspring at work. We are shipping some of the last ones from that group out in a couple of weeks to another Zoo.

Ed

I can add to this. I observed a pair breeding once, but over the few years I had my adults, never found a baby. I had a heavily planted tank for most of that time, with several hiding spots and a course sandy substrate that would allow burrowing. My females were enormously round (as well as long) most of that time, and I thought I saw abdominal bulges more than once. Now that these have produced at least one offspring, I seriously think that perhaps they might have produced other offspring that were eaten before I could find them.

I think the moral of the story is to keep a heavily planted tank with lots of hide spots to keep the adults happy, but observe the tank frequently (at least once daily) in detail to see if you have offspring once you see fat adult females. My eels were pretty much maintenance free other than occasional water changes and every other day or once every three day feedings which were performed very quickly. My schedule and number of other animals over the last couple of years prevented me from paying close attention to my eels, and I and their breeding activities may have suffered due to this inattention.

Katrina

np

hi there! im very concern about the care i have to take of the little eels, ... i bougth an rubber eel (fat one) and suddenly she was having babies there has been only two by now , one is already dead... i took all the other fishes to my other tank, but what else i have to do??? the second little eel its not moving at all... and im worried i dont want to losse any more babies.. please ME URGE!!! give me any answers please tips and whatever that may help... tanxs to all! really, im new in this but i want to make it right...