Whistling tree frog (Litoria ewingii) eggs..Question

[Ebony]

Hi Guys.

My Whistlers have breed before and well this time its different. I woke up this morning and did my morning poo check(for the frogs that is). So I came to my Whistlers and went to take out what I thought was a poop but it was a cluster of eggs. Normally when my Frogs breed I hear allot of whistling(croaking) and then the amplexing. But this time I saw none of this and instead of the eggs being doted in clumps around the plant in the water they were laid on plant out of the water.

My question is: Is it possible that these eggs are not fertile? and why would they lay out of the water? I have read that some frogs lay out of the water, but didn't think this happened with Whistlers.

I'm hoping I didn't damage them when I thought it was poop, but Ive put them in the water. They stayed intact.

Any help on this would be great.

[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.

[Ebony]

Oh thanks so much John. I will keep up on photo's and their progress if you like. Last year out of 400 tadpoles, I lost only one and that was because I accidentally sucked it up the syphon hose and it was damaged. It was horrible because when I put it back in the tank all the other tadpoles ate it in seconds. I was horrified. I'll never do that again.

[Ebony]

Just had to let you guys no that I found more eggs the next day that were laid in the sphagnum moss...very strange...I put them in water like the last lot and they seem to be doing OK. I wanted to tell you John that I think you were right. On day 3 after finding the eggs we had allot of rain fall for 12 hours. It just shows how clever frogs are, they must have known that was coming..

[John]

Thanks for the update Ebony. I'm just glad that they are developing for you. I demand photographs!

[Ebony]

Hi John, I unfortunately don't think the eggs are OK. The water has allot of bits from the sphagnum moss which the other eggs were in so its hard to see but when I looked at last years notes I had Tadpoles by now. I can't even see any movement within the egg case.. I'm still gonna give then a few more days but I'm not holding out much hope. You will have to excuse the bits of fly but they were attached to the eggs and I didn't want to disturb too much. I'm hopping that maybe its because the whether is not as warm and its taking longer but I think that's just wishful thinking. I have another Female who's obviously full of eggs so it may still happen.

[John]

They all seem to have gone bad/stopped developing. That's very strange.

[Kurt]

I would give them another week before I would toss them out. Just to make sure.

[Ebony]

I'm not having a very good day...I have some really sad news. Bella, My beautiful gorgeous Bella who is the female on the Photo of the month died today. I just can't believe it. I found her in her favourite spot. she had no obvious marks or anything. Is it possible for Frogs to get egg lay-den? She was eating yesterday because I hand fed her. she's always enjoyed her food. Im so upset as she was one of my favourite, especially in personalty. She will be so missed.

Yes, I will Kurt as I do remember last year I thought they were looking a bit off all but I was less experienced then. I think the eggs being laid out of water was not good and they may have been there longer than I thought before I found them.

[Kurt]

I am so sorry for your loss. Its painful to lose a frog, its even more painful to lose a breeder frog. I share your grief.

[Ebony]

Thanks Kurt, I didn't sleep at all last night. I just can't believe she's gone.

[John]

Ebony, sorry for your loss. She was a very pretty frog. I know something about what you're going through - it's very easy to get attached to frogs.