Whistling tree frog (Litoria ewingii) eggs..Question

[John]

First, congratulations Ebony! I don't know enough about Whistling Tree Frogs to give you a definitive answer but I doubt they're infertile - this species undergoes amplexus and laying when not paired is nearly impossible. Guessing now, but they may lay out of the water if they it's very humid and/or they think there's a lot of rain coming, I would think.

[Ebony]

Hi John, Thanks for that. I'm a little bit scared to get too excited just in case it doesn't turn out. Last season the frogs were calling for at least a week before I saw amplexing, and then it was a couple of days of that before I saw eggs. So this has come as a surprise. Looking back on last seasons notes it took about 4 days before the tadpole were seen to be moving inside the egg. It took a week for them to hatch. I suppose it also depends on the weather. Thanks again John

[Ebony]

I just took some photo's. I remember last year I left half the eggs outside and brought half the eggs inside and the eggs inside hatch faster and the tadpoles were bigger. I'm thinking will bring them inside. Ive just put them in a small tank for now. OK now I'm starting to get excited.

[Kurt]

They look fertile. Some treefrogs do deposit eggs in plants over-hanging water, see the red-eye care sheet and the Meet the Frog article on the tiger-legged monkey frog for more details. Litoria ewingii, however does not do this. They lay their eggs is clumps attached to submerged vegetation, usually in still waters of ponds, lakes, streamside ponds and flooded roadside ditches. So be very excited!

[Ebony]

Thanks Kurt....now I'm very very excited.

[John]

Show us another photo in about 12 hours and we can give you a definite answer. To my eye they are either all bad or mostly good - cytolysis isn't very different from hemisphere formation without a closer view.

[Ebony]

Hi John, Its been 21 hours since my last photo of the eggs. This morning I noticed that not all the eggs have turned the same colour. Most of the eggs white parts have changed to that cream colour(which I remember last season) but you can see just a few that are more white. I'm guessing they are damaged. It was my fault when grabbed them thinking that they are poop.

[Kurt]

Thanks Kurt....now I'm very very excited.

You're welcome.

[John]

Definitely fertile. Don't blame yourself for the bad ones - they mostly just look like infertile eggs. All frogs produce some infertile eggs at each spawning.