CB B.orientalis colour

[alan]

I believe that CB Bombina orientalis do not normally colour up like WC animals. What's the solution?

 

[han]

I use a colour-enhancher for birds based on
cantaxantin. Dust all food-items with this powder for about 3 weeks and the bellies will colour up.
Actually this appears to be the only way to get the bellies nicely coloured. I've raised a lot
of Bombina-offspring over the years, experimented
a lot but never got better results.
I'm raising CB Bombina maxima right now, nearly
3 months old but their bellies are already orange-red.

Han.

 

[caleb]

Alan,

they need carotenes adding to their diet. I've heard of people adding pure canthaxanthin to their food- I'm told this works very quickly and effectively.

There are various foods for fish and birds which have added carotenes to improve colouring- I've wondered whether feeding livefood on these would improve Bombina colour.

I think there's even a herp colour food from Nekton, though I've never actually seen it for sale.

Another way is to feed livefoods which are already high in carotenes- Daphnia and Gammarus are the best known ones- I've had very good results feeding B. variegata with Gammarus.

This applies to newts as well- CB alpine newts, for instance, often have yellow bellies, where wild ones can be deep red.

 

[alan]

Well, my alpines bellies are "deep orange", so that's OK

Any idea if it's possible to obtain canthaxanthin in the UK?

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/webpage/canthaxanthin_qanda/

 

[han]

I use Bogena - intensive red (Bayer). This might be for sale in the UK too.
If you read German there are some interesting articles on the subject:

Steinicke - Beitrage zum Problem unvollstandiger
Auspigmentierung bei der Aufzucht der
Chinesischen Rotbauchunke(Bombina
orientalis)- Salamandra 1976.

Kaehmel - Erganzende Bemerkungen zur
Rotpigmentierung der Bauchseite bei
Jungtieren von Bombina orientalis auf
der Basis von Canthaxanthin -
Salamandra 1976.

Wiesner - Das Pigmentierungsproblem bei der
Aufzucht von Bombina orientalis, der
Chinesischen Rotbauchunke - Elaphe 1980

Han.

(Message edited by Han on November 02, 2004)

 

[pollywog]

Alan,
I use a Bird colour enhancer for developing coloration in my Bombina, not sure of the name but will find out for you. I bought it from my local Wilsons so have a look if you have one near you.

 

[mike]

Alan,
Here's where you can get a supply:
http://www.haiths.com/product.asp?lookup=1&brand=2&pf_id=CFCARRED&customer_id=PAA0300110404335BHFRUOUSTVTTWUFS

 

[edward]

I would be careful of the amount that is used as there has some been some anecdotal evidence of toxicity in dendrobatids fed canthaxanthin.

Ed

 

[joseph]

Ed: Wouldn't that imply that this is giving the animals the neccessary chemicals to produce the toxins they would in the wild? Dunno if that is good or bad-although most CB animals look healthy even though they aren't toxic.

 

[alan]

Thanks for the link Mike.

I understand the FDA has banned canthaxanthin for human consumption, not sure about animal feeds.
In the UK, the FSA says you can still eat it (sun-tanning pills!) and feed it to food animals.

 

[edward]

Hi Joeseph,
Wrong chemical for toxin production. When I meant toxicity I meant that the frogs were becoming ill or dieing from the supplement. It apparently cause liver damage.


Ed