E. andersoni egg

[Tim Johnson]

Acquired this freshly laid andersoni egg today

Tim, please spill the beans .

[Tim Johnson]

Wish I HAD some beans to spill but seems my sole egg is a dud -- it remains completely white.

But I did take this pic today of some eggs be cared for by a fellow newt-lover, which seem to have some potential (though I suggested they perhaps shouldn't be kept in water like this, however shallow...)

[Tim Johnson]

[Tim Johnson]

Tim, if those are yours, you're a lucky, lucky guy. Congrats on finally getting some good eggs and good luck with the larvae.

~Aaron

Yes, I totally agree with you Aaron. Lucky man Tim.

[Tim Johnson]

Thanks guys. But I guess I shouldn't have just posted the pics without an explanation. The egg I acquired before didn't hatch. One of those 3 larvae is now mine to raise. I had a larvae about a year ago but it morphed much sooner than expected, climbed out of the uncovered container, and...well, the rest is a familiar story! This time around I'll be taking precautions!

(Message edited by TJ on May 28, 2003)

[Tim Johnson]

By the way, it appears the legal loophole that had allowed the capture of E.andersoni from the island of Tokunoshima (and any other islands of the Amami chain where they might be found) was closed several months ago with the passage of local legislation or a new regulation. They've long been under protection in Okinawa, where they were designated as a prefectural natural treasure back in 1978.

Guess I'll just have to accord this larvae VIN (Very Important Newt) status

[Tim Johnson]

Here's the one in my care. It's quite a bit lighter than the first one pictured above. Nicely peppered!



(pic's somewhat distorted as container is rounded)

And what a fine specimen it is. Could you give us a little care information for adults? Just the basics: temperature, moisture preference, and any other useful information. Thanks, and good luck

~Aaron

HI Aaron, I have been keeping E.andersoni for a few years now, had my first successful breeding this spring. They seem to prefer temps between 5-18 degrees C, offcourse the lower during the winter. They relish earthworms, but also feed on pill bugs for me. They seem to be hardy but are very shy urodeles. I keep my individuals in a 110 gallon ( 60 * 24* 24) with ferns and moss, with layers of flat limestone. I also use layers of oak leaves piled around the ferns, which they seem to enjoy hiding in as well. Humidity wise I would suggest relatively high, but the terrarium should not be saturated. I have a misting system which sprays the enclosure twice weekly for 5min but the micro climate created by the ferns, moss ect.. allows the humidity to remain high. Thtey receive fullspectrum lighting (more for the plants) with a plastic mesh lid. I can send pics if you wish, just haven't figured it out for here. As for cb E.andersoni come fall I will donating a pair to caudata.org for auction, after the auction I will be selling some cb juvies.
Craig

Hi Craig,
I would very much appreciate some pics of your E. andersoni setup and some additional info on your misting system. Did you setup the tank in a wintergarden or how do you ensure lower temps during winter? At which latitude are you located, if its allowed to ask?

Ralf

Hi Ralf, I will send pics no problem. I'm in Ottawa, Canada, cold winters! I keep them in my basement which is well insulated from the rest of the house. I allow the room to become that low in winter along with all my northern temperate species. I will e-mail you the rest!
Craig

craig, could you send me the pics??? I can then upload them to this site, if you'd like. please send to uscr@caudata.org rather than my normal email address because of space limitations. Thanks

~Aaron

Hi Aaron I have sent the pics to your e-mail <<>> Please let me know where you post them.
Thanks!
Craig

Craig, you could post them yourself here actually - just use the tag \image{Title message for my photo} and after you submit the message the forums will give you a window to select the photo(s) on your hard drive to upload. It's easy.

[Tim Johnson]

Progress report on that larvae...well, I suppose this pic says it all

[Tim Johnson]

One more for the road:

Tj,
Great news.Glad to see you have had good luck with them. What has their main diet been?
-Travis