Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Hemidactylium scutatum embryonic development

johnskillcorn

New member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Location
North-east, England
Having been encouraged by the responses of one or two readers of my comments and picture concerning the breeding of Hemidactylium scutatum (Four toed salamander), I would like to offer this series of pictures showing the development of this North American amphibian from egg to metamorphosis. Unfortunately I was not able to include all the pictures in the series I'd selected (14 altogether) but I think you'll get the idea from these.
The larvae are extremely tiny and need to be fed with suitably sized aquatic micro-organisms at first, gradually moving on to small mosquito larvae and such-like. Growth and development are not rapid processes.
Once on land, they will feed on springtails and any other leaf-litter animals as long as they can be swallowed. I kept the environment cool and very wet, always with Sphagnum moss as the main vegetation.

John Skillcorn
001 Four toed salamander with eggs 21st May 2008.jpg 002 21st May 2008.jpg 003 24th May 2008.JPG 004 Female with eggs (head protruding from moss).jpg 005 30th May 2008.JPG 006 5th June 2008.jpg
011 Newly hatched 25th June 2008.jpg 012 23rd August 2008.jpg
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Very nice, it´s always a pleassure to see plethodontids being captive bred. What size were the morphs? And how long, roughly, from hatching to metamorphosis?
 

taherman

Caudata.org Donor
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
394
Reaction score
44
Location
Whitehouse, OH
Growth and development are not rapid processes.

This is curious to me...Hemidactylium has the shortest larval period of any plethodontid, with estimates in wild populations from 21 to 42 days. I've raised a few clutches and I don't think any have taken more than 2 months to morph. If yours are taking longer you might consider starting some growout tanks. Get some ostracods, copepods, daphnia or similar going gangbusters in a decent sized tank with some oak leaves, branches, java moss, and duckweed and raise your larvae right in this culture tank. Providing them with an abundance of food like this will really shorten the larval period.

I got some F2 larvae this year from 2008 offspring, so apparently sexual maturity can be reached in 2 years.
 

Jennewt

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
12,451
Reaction score
146
Location
USA
Great photos, thanks for posting!
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top