My new Xenopus Tads

[BugBoy99]

Hello Everybody,

I have wanted to update this thread, but have been quite busy.

First, the wild tads and pool. I did take pictures of the pool, but am running short of internet data so I will post them when I can. Then, this was a very, very dry week and the pool dried up. I don't think that any of the tadpoles made it. There were some huge thunderstorms last night, and the pool has reformed, and is much, much larger than before.

Secondly, good news, would be that I rescued 136 Xenopus tadpoles, and 7 Ptychadena tadpoles before the pool dried up. I initially had more than 136 tadpoles, but lost several. I have been taking photos every couple of days, and will add them as soon as I get more internet data.

Sincerely,
Joh

[SwimminSteve]

This is so neat! I'm really interested in learning more about these guys in the wild, so I can't wait to see pics Do you know which Xenopus species you have? Have you seen adults before? Do you think that the adults stay buried in the mud at the pools? or do they "hop" to the pools when they form? They are so awkward on land, I wonder how they could do that.

I was in Tanzania last year and I found Xenopus borealis in a well hand-dug by the Iraqw people in the Nou Forest. The well was too deep for me to catch him or get a close look, but it was SO cool.

[KingCam]

I'm watching this thread closely because I will be getting ACF eggs soon. Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress!

[BugBoy99]

Hello Everybody,

Do you know which Xenopus species you have?

Well, I live on the overlap zone between the distribution zones of Xenopus muelleri and Xenopus laevis. However, judging from habitat preferences, I am about 80% certain that they are probably Xenopus laevis.

Have you seen adults before?

I'm quite sad to say that the only adults I've seen are the ones that I have raised once before.

Do you think that the adults stay buried in the mud at the pools? or do they "hop" to the pools when they form?

I know for certain that the adults do not stay buried in the mud at the pools. During the dry season, the soil beneath and around the pools dry to a rock-solid plate, overgrown with vegetation.

My personal theory is that the adults do not hop to the pools to breed. The pools form in a stream bed which was dried up so that building could take place nearby. However, the entire stream was not dried up and, although it does not flow anymore, there are permanent pools of stagnant water further up the stream bed. My personal belief is that the Xenopus live and breed in these stagnant pools. And, that when torrential rains take place the eggs are washed down the stream bed, and then caught in the temporary pools further down. I am not absolutely certain of this, though. I would like to explore the permanent pools, more thoroughly, but it is too dangerous due to the informal settlements that are in their close vicinity.

According to the field guides I have looked at, Tanzania has a diverse array of Amphibians. Did you experience this when you were there?

I'm watching this thread closely because I will be getting ACF eggs soon. Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress!

It's only a pleasure. Do you know which species of Xenopus you are getting?

Sincerely,
Joh

[rodsboys]

This whole thread is definitely a treat. I just want to adsorb every tidbit you share with us like a sponge. lol

[KingCam]

Do you know which species of Xenopus you are getting?

I don't actually know, I just know a lady in Texas that has two albino clawed frogs. She is sending me eggs next time they lay (she says they lay frequently). I will ask her if she knows the species. Does it make a difference on husbandry?

[BugBoy99]

Hello Everybody, I'm very sorry that I have not updated this thread in such a long time. I have been taking photos, and will upload them as soon as I possibly can.

For the most part, the tadpoles have been doing very well. I lost a couple just after I last posted. And, thinking that it might have been some kind of bacterial problem, I switched them over to highly diluted rooibos tea. These last two days, I lost fifteen tadpoles, I don't know why.

And, there are now four or five tadpoles that have four legs. This makes me very happy.

Does it make a difference on husbandry?

KingCam, to the best of my knowledge, husbandry does not vary between species. But, I always enjoy knowing which species I have. And, my interest naturally spreads to the species others have. I couldn't help[ but ask.

Sincerely,
Joh

[tgampper]

For the most part, the tadpoles have been doing very well. I lost a couple just after I last posted. And, thinking that it might have been some kind of bacterial problem, I switched them over to highly diluted rooibos tea. These last two days, I lost fifteen tadpoles, I don't know why.

Interesting that you used a "red tea" as a treatment. Did you check the pH of the water to see if it was in proper range. I would think the tea would make the water more acidic. If this is the case, the water was out of tolerance. However, there is an interesting thing happening in the Western Cape region. X. laevis is hybridizing with X. gilli (an endangered species). X. gilli can tolerate pH as low as 4.0. It seems that X. laevis is able to adapt to more acidic waters over time. X. laevis is larger and more aggressive and will easily mate with X. gilli.

And, there are now four or five tadpoles that have four legs. This makes me very happy.

Great job! Keep up the good work

[rodsboys]

I don't actually know, I just know a lady in Texas that has two albino clawed frogs. She is sending me eggs next time they lay (she says they lay frequently). I will ask her if she knows the species. Does it make a difference on husbandry?

Those albinos are surely X. Laevis.

[BugBoy99]

Just another update. I promise to post photos as soon as possible. The first tadpole is now a frog, and three others are very close. There are a good many tadpoles with two legs, and a whole lot with four.

[tgampper]

I don't actually know, I just know a lady in Texas that has two albino clawed frogs. She is sending me eggs next time they lay (she says they lay frequently). I will ask her if she knows the species. Does it make a difference on husbandry?

The husbandry of both species is the same. I do know that X. muelleri can tolerate slightly warmer temperatures than X. laevis.

[gemzjames]

This is so neat! I'm really interested in learning more about these guys in the wild, so I can't wait to see pics Do you know which Xenopus species you have? Have you seen adults before? Do you think that the adults stay buried in the mud at the pools? or do they "hop" to the pools when they form? They are so awkward on land, I wonder how they could do that.

I was in Tanzania last year and I found Xenopus borealis in a well hand-dug by the Iraqw people in the Nou Forest. The well was too deep for me to catch him or get a close look, but it was SO cool.

Hi - ive worked with wild caught xenopus for many years in the uk - they can actually travel quite some distance on land - it has been documented then can travel 200m plus on dry land as they can crawl in a strange kind of way and move from pond to pond. I have 3 wild caught xenopus laevis that i caught in the UK and they were about just over a year old and they have grown tremendously. Its so satisfying to see wild caught xenopus tadpoles and juviniles grow. When ponds dry up, they do bury themselves in the mud and survive if the mud stays moist.

[gemzjames]

I also have 2 xenopus muelleri that were wild caught from s.africa and the physical characteristics are actually very different from laevis so you will definately be able to tell the difference - colouration, sensory 'wiskers', and adult sizes.

Really enjoying this thread ... keep up the good work :-)

[tgampper]

I also have 2 xenopus muelleri that were wild caught from s.africa and the physical characteristics are actually very different from laevis so you will definately be able to tell the difference - colouration, sensory 'wiskers', and adult sizes.

Really enjoying this thread ... keep up the good work :-)

Thanks for your input. I find it amazing that these frogs are so adaptable.

FYI: here are two drawings showing the subocular tentacles, muelleri on left, laevis on right.

[BugBoy99]

Wow! Where to begin. Thank you so much for all the information and input, this thread wouldn't be nearly as interesting without everyone else's contributions.

Interesting that you used a "red tea" as a treatment. Did you check the pH of the water to see if it was in proper range. I would think the tea would make the water more acidic. If this is the case, the water was out of tolerance.

Honestly, I barely ever check PH levels. Ph testing kits are very, very expensive around these parts. One small kit costs R150 which is not exactly within my price range. So, I go on feeling. If I think that I'm having Ph problems, I make sure to boil the water before I use it. As far as I know, Rooibos tea does not affect the water's PH too much, but it does increase the amount of tannins in the water, and has been proven to have fungicidal properties. I tried it on a small amount of tadpoles that I raised once before, and it doesn't seem to have any negative effects.

Oh, and the hybridization is becoming a very serious problem in the Western Cape. If residents there find a species of Xenopus in their garden ponds, pools, etc. they have to have them identified before they can move them. Otherwise, accidental introductions of X. laevis into the habitat of X. gilli would be more common.

Don't forget to keep good notes.

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to work on that before I can study at university. keeping the forum updated is my version of notes. That, and what I can remember.

they can actually travel quite some distance on land

Well, I can believe that now. Last week, when I was moving the frogs to clean water, one of the froglets jumped onto the ground. One wouldn't think that they'd be any good on land if one looks at them, but those frogs can really move!

Thank you for the pictures, I've never seen pictures that distinguish between the species this well.

Please feel free to ask if there are any questions. I find that it helps me to fully understand my methods, and the frogs' behavior sometimes.

Sincerely,
Joh

[BugBoy99]

I took the time today to count all the frogs and tadpoles. Out of an original 136 tadpoles, 112 remain. 17 of them are frogs, and 10 are close to morphing.

One more question, what does everyone else feed their Xenopus? What can one feed them? Please bear in mind that the frogs are wild-caught, and I will be releasing them back into the wild.

I have been feeding bloodworms, mosquito larvae, liver shavings, and today I tried a small earthworm. Which they seemed to enjoy.

Thanks,
Joh