Cannabalistic ACF tads?

[xxianxx]

Last year two of my female acf layed, I placed the eggs in a couple of tanks and let them hatch. A couple weeks later my third female layed, I added the eggs to one of the tanks. My tads have been morphing for a few weeks now and I keep getting very large froglets, they are two to three times larger than they usually are and all of the smallest tads in the tank have disappeared. I have spoken to another acf keeper and he has confirmed my suspicions that some of my tadpoles have turned cannibal. I have not read anything to indicate that this is recorded behavior of acf tads though it is not uncommon in other species. I have never witnessed this before in my tanks and I think it may be related to the larger number of smaller tads in the tank from the second batch. Has anyone witnessed or read about acf tadpole cannibalism ? On a side note , does anyone know how long adf eggs take to hatch , I have had three of my females lay for the first time and I cant find the info online. Thanks.

 

[Jake]

I've never witnessed it or heard of it, but I suppose if the older group are close to metamorphosis (and eating something larger than dust particles) and the new group are still very small it might be possible. Those frogs secrete a nasty tasting substance from their skin that I can only compare to ear wax mixed with cigarette ashes, it's sort of bitter/spicy and not pleasant at all. I've tried to use advanced tadpoles (with fully developed hind limbs) with physical deformities as feeders for adult ACF's with no luck, which could either be because of the not so delicious flavor or the kicking legs and their irritating claws.

As for the eggs, mine always took about 4 days to hatch, but it can be sooner or later depending on temperature.

 

[xxianxx]

Cannibalism by acf tadpoles seems to be unrecorded behavior. The fact that big acf eat small acf is well known.