Breakfast for the Brazils

I don't normally bother putting flies in a dish, but occasionally if a lot of crud comes out of the culture and mixes with the files I do in order to avoid too much getting in the viv. Still, it gave them a chance to be sociable :-)

Sobering discovery for Europe’s amphibians

A new report commissioned by the European Commission and carried out by IUCN highlights alarming declines for a range of frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards. The study shows that of Europe’s 85 species of amphibian, 23% now feature on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species:

Overall, nearly a quarter of amphibians are considered threatened in Europe. A further 17% of amphibians are considered Near Threatened. By comparison, 19% of European reptiles, 15% of European mammals and 13% of European birds are threatened. No other groups have yet been comprehensively assessed at the European level. More than half of amphibians (59%) have declining populations. A further 36% are stable, and only 2% are increasing.
The overwhelming majority of threatened and Near Threatened amphibian species are endemic to both Europe and the EU, highlighting the responsibility that European countries have to protect the entire global populations of these species. All species considered threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable) at the European level are endemic to Europe and are found nowhere else in the world.
Amphibian species richness is greatest at intermediate latitudes (France, Germany, Czech Republic) as well as in the south and on islands. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are the most significant threats to amphibians in Europe. Other major threats include pollution (including global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions) and invasive alien species.

Tylototriton kweichowensis

Busy Saturday

Most weekends, Saturday is my main day in the frogroom, and in addition to the regular maintenance schedule, today seemed to be particularly busy:

• Two egg clutches from Dendrobates tinctorius Patricia and Dendrobates leucomelas
• Lots of new Mesotriton alpestris apanus larvae
• Set up some new rearing boxes for froglets:
  

But the funniest thing was moving an adult Dendrobates azureus female into a viv with a younger pair who haven't got the hang of the breeding thing yet. I wish I'd taken a video of the ensuing chaos. I had been slight;ly worried about the possibility that the females might fight, but instead, as soon as she clapped eyes on the male, she was after him, chasing him round the viv, stroking and generally behaving in a lustful fashion. He looked terrified!

I think I might be needing those new frog boxes soon :-)

Pacific Tree Frog - Pseudacris regilla

Pacific Tree Frog via kwout

Vivarium for sale

90 x 30 x 30cm (30 long x 12 wide x 12 inches), top opening vivarium.
Ventilated escape-proof lid, suitable for amphibians, reptiles, insects, rodents, etc.
£15, buyer collects from Leicester.

SOLD!

Not this time

My attempt at breeding Neurergus kaiseri again this year has failed. One difference from previous years was that I overwintered them at a slightly higher temperature, only going down to 10°C, whereas in previous years they were exposed to temperatures close to 0°C. While I'm not convinced that they need to be that cold, it seems that lower temperatures may promote ovulation, since both animals entered the water readily and the male displayed courting behavior, but no eggs were forthcoming.

Fortunately, I have just head of another successful UK spawning of this species. Interestingly, these animals were exposed to temperatures as low as 2°C, which agrees with my theory. In this case however, running water was not used, so maybe temperatures are more important. That makes it approximately 50:50 in the spawnings I have heard about with regard to running water.

My adults are now back in terrestrial accommodation, and of course, I'll try again next year.

Spadefoot toads

Beautiful slideshow of spadefoot toads in Massachusetts: