Frogg eggs

[garrison]

I'm curious if there is any sort of exchange of frog eggs via mail as there is for those of salamanders on this forum? I'd imagine that temperature would be a concern until it becomes warmer, but what other obstacles are faced to prevent this from working? I think that it would be a great way to get some use out of such a large amount of eggs produced per breeding group, for those limited by space in raising juvies.

Note: this is just a hypothetical Q and I am not interested and acquiring more animals.

 

[jennifer]

I was thinking about trying to acquire firebellied toad eggs at one point. But I found out that they hatch in a matter of days. I never found anyone that could get their act together fast enough to ship them before they hatched! I don't know if this is a problem with other frogs, but certainly shipping caudate eggs is made easier by the long time they take to hatch.

 

[joseph]

Think another problem with some would be you would have to figure out a way to seperate the clump of eggs with the least amount of trauma.

I think sealing eggs in one of those new "breathable bags" might work. If they hatched on the way they would still have a good chance of survival.

 

[edward]

This can be problomatic with frog eggs as there is typically a much larger amount of jelly when compared to caudate eggs. This can breakdown during shipping causing the eggs to suffocate or die.
In addition, a lot of anurans hatch much more quickly than caudates (some species in as little as 48 hours (like Smilesca phaeota) and the larva can be very fragile.

There are species for which it is better or easier, as some of the biosupply companies sell them for classrooms to hatch but it is probably species dependent.

Ed