T. marmoratus/pygmaeus eggs laid!

Ok! In the coming days I will make a series of photographs of these newts as they are still in their breeding garb. Male, female, the works. I'll post a series as soon as I can work out the lighting and get them in a suitable container which enables clear photos like my T dobrogicus. Then we shall see what they are once and for all!

Btw, Tim:That plexiglass contraption seen in the Hynobius video looks self made, Tim? I think it is easy to make. I've seen similar containers like that used for observing ants or worms used as ant farms in children science sets. I suspect the design of the perspex viewing tank seen in the footage was based on an ant farm tank.

This would also be a good receptacle for photographing eggs, larvae and the likes? I wonder...

Yes, that does seem odd - I must admit, the length I was referring to was the individual that Terry has already singled out as marmoratus. 8.5cm does seem awfully small, even for a male. Take some shots of the crest when it's fully developed.

Here are the 4 individuals I suspect to be Triturus pygmaeus. The series are as follows:

This is the first male, 8.5 cm, 3 years, aquatic now for two months




This is the other male with an even smaller crest, same age and also aquatic for 2 months. the crest has remain like this since.




These following two pictures are the females.
Here is the first female:


And here is the second female:


This is the 12cm male which is certainly T. marmoratus:

This is a juvenile which is 12 cm and his crest is underdeveloped. Maybe he is just not ready for breeding. Again the obvious size difference and different belly colouration says it all.

What do you think?

And now I better transfer the newly laid eggs to the hatchery as I noticed that the male marmoratus was trying to eat them!

Ok Terry, I was hoping pics like these: The question of the crest would be confusing, but... small eyes in a large head, thin body, white band in the periphery of the belly, grey background with balck dots. Some populations of pygmaeus from Andalucía ( southern Spain ) are just exactly like yours.

Tim, you must take care of 40 juvies??

(Message edited by iberian_guest on November 10, 2005)

Hello Rubén,
So it is identified then? These are pygmaeus . So finally I can make my labels for my colony! Thanks for your feedback. I'll consider them identified as Triturus pygmaeus then. Well done Rubén!

By the way, if you think 40 juvies are a lot, think about what is going to happen when all the eggs hatch .

This kind of topic are always interesting( for me )

Unfortunately, regarding marmoratus/pygmaeus only a genetic study would be conclusive.

Terry, all can I say is that are two differentiated forms of pygmaeus in Spain/Portugal, and these yours looks exactly like one of them. An spanish herpetologist ( I sent him that images ) thinks the same.

Tim_ How old are your marms?

Mark_ Your marmoratus have an interesting yellow colour. Do you know their origin? looks like this one?


(Message edited by iberian_guest on November 11, 2005)

Hi Ruben. I got my marbleds as babies back in March 2003, at which time they looked like this:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/2978.jpg

So they first bred for me when they were about two-and-a-half-years old, by my reckoning.

Hi Ruben - Yes they look just like that one, see http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/985/43651.html?1127820182

Very bright yellow/green. They are still very young (6-7cm now) so I expect some of this colour to fade with age.

I'm afraid I don't know their origin. The seller claimed they were cb in Germany but that's all I know.

(Message edited by aartse_tuyn on November 11, 2005)

It is noted that some of the larvae are reluctant to leave their eggsac. I found them still wriggling in there while their siblings swim around them. Here is a photo depicting a fully developed embryo prior to hatching:

Haha that's weird. Do other species do that too?
Oh yeah, and congrats on the eggs (a bit too late,eh?lol)well then larvae

(Message edited by twig on November 13, 2005)

A small update on the larvae which remained in the eggsacs.

I decided to take a risk last night and punctured the eggsac with a sterile needle. Needless to say the larva swam free with no problems so this morning I did the same to those which seem trapped in their eggsac. They all swam out normally. Question is. What was preventing them from hatching normally like the other larvae? The were already the size of the ones free swimming yet remained for some reason in their eggsacs!

So right now of the 4 trapped in the eggsacs, I released three and left the last one to see if it does hatch normally. I'll keep you lads posted.

Another thing. I noticed some larvae possessing white irises/pupils instead of the normal brown or black. I cannot imagine that these ones are blind.