Double-clutching in E. andersoni

[erik]

Has anyone else had two clutches of eggs in one year from a single female? The first clutch was produced about 3 months ago and now she laid eggs again last night.

Last year this female produced one clutch which I assume is normal.

Pics to come.

 

[erik]

Well I guess it may not be too unusual, but I am still thrilled:

http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_search_index&table=amphib&special=one_record&where-genus=Echinotriton&where-species=andersoni

 

[andy]

Hi Erik, wow!...this being my favourite species of newt let me sat congratulations!
I don't keep them myself and doubt i will ever get a chance to but any news of captive breeding is music to my ears!
Any chance of some photos?

 

[edward]

Hi Erik,

Good deal. Keep me up to date.

Ed

 

[paris]

very good! are these fertile? will we soon get pictures??

 

[TJ]

Hi Erik. I checked with somebody who regularly breeds the species and was told that while it's not usual, it's also not extremely unusual under captive conditions. He says it's normal for the female to have one clutch a year, in the spring. But sometimes a captive female will lay some eggs in February and more in May, and even multiple times over a 3-month period. However, he said it'd be exceptional for a female to lay in the spring and then again in the autumn.

Anyway, congrats!

(Message edited by TJ on May 16, 2006)

 

[erik]

I think I posted pics from last years breeding before, but maybe I'm wrong. I'll get some pics of eggs and larvae asap.

 

[erik]

Some pics of courtship:

Larvae:

Comparison of morph,juvenile and adult:

 

[erik]

Oh , while I did breed these, they are not in my collection. I DON'T have any available right now. I should have my own offspring next year.

 

[TJ]

Very nice, Erik. Congrats!

From what I can tell, they are from Tokunoshima Island. Is this the case, as far as you know?

 

[erik]

Well they do look like Tokunoshima specimens, but the only info I can find suggests they originated from Okinawa. It is sort of a mystery really.

I should have my own verifiable Tokunoshima specimens for comparison later this summer.

 

[TJ]

Hmmm...Okinawa seems very unlikely. Most likely Tokunoshima -- if not, then probably Amami-oshima (indeed there's little genetic differentiation between andersoni of Amami-oshima and Tokunoshima). I showed your photos to a Japanese specialist, who concurred. The ones on Amami-oshima can have orange coloration in places, as can be seen in this photo I took while actually <u>on</u> Amami-oshima -- and that's about as verifiable as it gets

And here's a photo of a Tokunoshima one:

<font size="-2">(not as verifiable as above, but source reliable)</font>

Yours certainly are stunning though, whatever they are!

(Message edited by TJ on June 15, 2006)

 

[lyca]

Hi,

How many eggs is one clutch containing?

Thx

Lyca

 

[AaronK]

Hello,
This is a three year old post but thanks for dragging it back up. The pictures are amazing especially the size comparison picture.