My new Xenopus Tads

[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.

[BugBoy99]

Hello Everybody,

I finally have enough data to post pictures of the tads. I am proud to say that I now have four froglets, eight more tads that will morph in the next few days, and quite a lot of tads that are somewhere before that phase.

First, one of the froglets


Second, a two-legged tadpole


Lastly, a legless tadpole


I hope that everyone enjoys these photos.

Joh

[Namio]

Thanks Joh! Awesome diary of ACF tadpoles. Even though I'm about a month late from discovering this thread, I'm glad that I finally caught on! Lol!

[BugBoy99]

It is my pleasure. I'm only too glad to share with fellow frog enthusiasts. Between last night, and this afternoon, 9 more tadpoles morphed. there are now 13 froglets.

Also, that picture that I've been threatening to post but never have. This is the pool where I caught the tadpoles. It was taken directly after they cut the grass. The pool has dried up, and reformed, a few times since then. The only Xenopus tads that made it are the ones that I kept.

[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.