Where are the eggs?

[162Smolenskya]

I've had my female ACF for about 9 years and my male for about 4 years, although he's 6 years old. Lately I've been noticing a lot of amplexing going on, but it only lasts a few seconds and then they break it apart. My female has never laid eggs in her entire life, and even when I introduced the male to her she's always rejected his mating call. I don't really care about the eggs (I'd probably just let them eat them), but does this show something is wrong with my female?
I thought it was fine because my female is actually slightly smaller or equal in size to my male, so maybe it's too much work for her to carry him around? She's also much more pushy than my male. When he grabs on to her, as soon as she starts swimming he lets go. I feel like she needs a male who's as pushy as she is in order for amplexus to be successful. But that still doesn't explain why she's never laid eggs just to discharge them. Has anyone else's frog never laid eggs in almost a decade?

[mpmistr]

Good question. I myself am not sure either. I am in a similar situation, three female frogs, one male frog. Amplexus now and then but never are any eggs produced.

[162Smolenskya]

Well it's good to know someone else is in my situation at least.

[rodsboys]

I have never had eggs either despite amplexus and calling occasionally. I have similar aged frogs. 4 big females and 2 males. I have read that if temps are kept consistently in the 70-72 range it is likely females won't produce. I am fine with it. Don't really want to bother with it.

[mpmistr]

I guess it makes sense as to why Xenopus Express injects their frogs with hormones to get them to reproduce. I think that breeding must have something to do with temperature.

[Geoff]

In my experience it's quite common for Xenopus to produce eggs when they first reach sexual maturity. Whether they continue to do so in subsequent years is dependent partly on diet but mainly on environmental conditions. If the frogs are kept under constant conditions of photoperiod (light) and temperature all year round it's unlikely that they'll breed. This is because they originate from regions with a Mediterranean climate (i.e.:with slight seasonal variations) rather than tropical. The simplest way to replicate those natural variations (in the UK anyway) is to keep the frogs in an unlit and unheated tank so that the frogs experience ambient light and temperature. Under those conditions they're more likely to produce eggs in spring and summer.