Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander) larvae

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
I collected a few of these eggs of Ambystoma talpoideum, the Mole Salamander, last weekend in East Texas:

file.php



The eggs have just hatched and here is one of the larvae (same larva in both photos):

file.php


file.php
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Impressive photographs. The colours of that larvae are an absolut joy to my eyes, lovely pattern indeed.
I see the larvae in the first pic do not have this coloration...i guess it appeared post-hatching?
 

Mark

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2004
Messages
3,259
Reaction score
58
Location
Bristol
Those larva shots blow my efforts out of the water. Would you mind sharing your technique? Container, lighting, exposure, aperture, flash, lens etc...?
 

coendeurloo

Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
357
Reaction score
14
Location
Scharendijke
Those larva shots blow my efforts out of the water. Would you mind sharing your technique? Container, lighting, exposure, aperture, flash, lens etc...?

Yes, yes! More info please, These are one of the most beautiful and clearest shots I've ever seen.
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
I see the larvae in the first pic do not have this coloration...i guess it appeared post-hatching?
I think that's more of a lighting issue in the pond, though the colouration would not have been as developed at that point. You can see the dark saddles along the back in the unhatched larvae though.

Would you mind sharing your technique? Container, lighting, exposure, aperture, flash, lens etc...?
I'm very flattered by the compliments everyone. At 100% you can see the bloodflow in the gills in that first photo.

I'm using the same lens I've used since 2003 - 60 mm AFD Micro. Camera is a Nikon D90. Manual Focus. The aperture is somewhere in the teens, between f/14 and f/18 most likely. Shutter is 1/200 second. Lighting is from a Nikon flash with a diffuser. The first photo container is a petri dish and the second is a quartz cuvette (I'm not 100% happy with the results I got from that though).
 

MikeM

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
51
Reaction score
2
Location
California, USA
For it being a larvae, it has to be one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen. Simply astonishing.
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
For it being a larvae, it has to be one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen. Simply astonishing.
You are right but I don't understand why this occurs unless it's some kind of cryptic camouflage. After all, the adults, at their most attractive, look like this:

A_talpoideum1GRAZIANO.jpg
 

SludgeMunkey

New member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
2,299
Reaction score
78
Location
Bellevue, Nebraska
I must say John, thank you for the wonderful pictures and updates from your East Texas expedition. We are about three weeks behind Texas climate wise, but your postings from the other day had me out hiking in 45 degree weather in a light rain. Thank you for the camera information also, my wife is the family photographer, and she is absolutely drooling over your pictures.
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
I must say John, thank you for the wonderful pictures and updates from your East Texas expedition. We are about three weeks behind Texas climate wise, but your postings from the other day had me out hiking in 45 degree weather in a light rain. Thank you for the camera information also, my wife is the family photographer, and she is absolutely drooling over your pictures.
I'm very flattered, thank you. Did you find anything during that hike? :)
 

SludgeMunkey

New member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
2,299
Reaction score
78
Location
Bellevue, Nebraska
I found a good deal of mud and a bit of a head cold.

There was still remnants of snow on the ground and the night time temperatures have been dipping below freezing quite a bit. I know its too early, but I had to get out there! However, according to my notes from last year, the "spring peepers" started calling the third week of March so I will try again when I hear them singing. I was able to scout out some new sites, and made contact with the owners of a fish farming operation that have given me season long access to their private ponds. I also checked out some of the new flood control dams the state built last fall- many new man made vernal pools and holding ponds are available now. I suspect it will be a good year for herping!
 

MikeM

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
51
Reaction score
2
Location
California, USA
You are right but I don't understand why this occurs unless it's some kind of cryptic camouflage. After all, the adults, at their most attractive, look like this:

A_talpoideum1GRAZIANO.jpg

See to me this is still beautiful. But i could understand what you mean since the bright yellow is far more attractive.
 

b00f

New member
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
269
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
John, what lense do you use for those shots, they are amazingly perfect focus wise

im envious of you and pretty macro lense
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
John, what lense do you use for those shots, they are amazingly perfect focus wise

im envious of you and pretty macro lense
I already answered that.
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
See to me this is still beautiful. But i could understand what you mean since the bright yellow is far more attractive.
It's beautiful to me (well, maybe not that word) but it's such a vastly different animal to the larvae.
 

newtamander

New member
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
You people are so lucky. Where I live there still over a 2 feet of snow. It is starting to melt though. Once I can I want to get some pictures of spotted salamander breeding.:happy:
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
You people are so lucky. Where I live there still over a 2 feet of snow. It is starting to melt though. Once I can I want to get some pictures of spotted salamander breeding.:happy:
And when you are still able to find salamanders in the middle of summer, I'll be moping around looking for something to do down here.
 

John

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
8,167
Reaction score
424
Location
USA
Just an update. I'm amazed at how cannibalistic Ambystoma maculatum and A. talpoideum larvae are. I've only ever raised Axolotls and medium sized Tiger Salamander larvae before. The hatchling spotted and mole larvae (not kept together and kept in low densities) will ignore Daphnia and ostracods in favour of attacking their siblings. My mind is boggling. I was warned about this but I didn't take it enough to heart. Needless to say my tiny larvae are now living separately! As a side note, the old larvae (several cm long) don't seem interested in attacking each other at all. Interesting stuff!
 

jbherpin

New member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
475
Reaction score
19
Maybe as the larvs get older and bigger, they recognize "real prey" easier. The Ambystoma larv i've kept are pretty quick to bite anything moving close to the mouth. In short, I think that the small larvs are acting in the interest of survival at all costs(i.e. trying to eat anything close to their mouths thats moving!), and the larger larvs are just better sustained and recognize the prey much easier! Let me know what you think!

-jbherpin-
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top