Xenopus Borealis breeding

[TommyBoi]

Hello everyone! I just wanted to add another update, in regards to my colony. Last Wednesday, May 18th, in the early to mid morning hours, my pair of Borealis bred. Unfortunately, I was away, and came home early evening, and saw the tank had a lot of eggs scattered thruout. I removed the parents, and set up the airstone, and I had initially estimated maybe 150 eggs, it didnt appear to be a lot actually, lol. But after 24 hou, already most of the tads had hatched, and I realized there were more eggs laid than I thought. They are all free swimming now, and I have begun the regimen of using powder & using a turkey baster to serve it in the water. It looks like there are at LEAST, 200-250 tads. I am VERY nervous & maybe even a little skeptical, of a lot fo them surviving. I am considering going out and getting another tank (a 15g or a 20gallon Long) Cuz I would really like to bring as many of the borealis tads to froglet stage. My last batch of tads, from the laevis spawning, I had them in a 20g High tank (about 100 tads - all of which grew & made it to frogpole stage---and only started dying off, when they were put in the small tupperware bins. I just wanted to share with you guys, and of course, I will be taking some videoclips & uploading them as well!
I'm starting my new project, with isolating my male x. muelleri, for a couple days, then tomorrow mid evening, I will place the female in with him, and let them be for a couple days... ;o)

[tgampper]

Good luck with your tadpoles!

I am expecting a full report soon

[Jack]

Tommy what do you do with them all? Do you really keep them all?

I've got 3 ACF's and I've been thinking what I'm going to do if they breed. I don't have enough resources to keep and look after hundreds of tads or frogs. But I wouldn't mind raising some tads to see if i can get a reticulated adult. Hmmm

[TommyBoi]

I plan on waiting a couple week, then take most of them to some of the local pet shops, for store credit, and I will of course, keep a couple to raise ;o) I'm also considering, mating the Male Borealis with the female x. Muelleri, if the male X. Muelleri doesn't attempt with the female. I know hybrid males can be sterile, but I would just want a few cool ones to keep as pets. I have pairs of x. laevis, x. borealis, 2 young x. boumbaensis, pairs of x. amieti, x. clivii, and CO3 as well!

[tgampper]

There is another combination that might prove to be difficult or impossible, laevis X borealis. According to a study by Brun and Kobel in 1977, there is a fertilization barrier that exists between male laevis spermatozoa and eggs of borealis. The spermatozoa could not penetrate the inner jelly of the eggs.

"Observations on the fertilization block between X. borealis and X. laevis laevis". Journal of Experimental Zoology. 201:135-138.

It would be interesting to see what a cross between boumbaensis and amieti would bring. These two species are octoploids and belong to the frasieri-like subgroup.

[TommyBoi]

Hey Terry, I am interested in knowing what "-ploids" my species are...like, tetraploid, octoploid, etc.... I have pairs of: Can you let me know, in regards to the species I have, thanks!!
I have Laevis; Borealis; Amieti; Boumbaensis; Clivii; Muelleri; and CO3. I would definitely like to attempt cross-breeding, just for my own colony, and who knows, we could end up with some beautiful frogs!

About 11 years ago, I had ordered several laevis x borealis hybrids, the males were sterile, and their spotting was washed out & elongated, but it was cool to have a hybrid...but, if I can breed a hybrid with the same "ploid" characteristics, then maybe the male offspring would possibly be fertile? And, I will def be attempting the amieti x boumbaensis spawn..I just have to wait and see if my boumbaensis are male or female, or 1 of each, etc... sincerely, DJ (Tom)