P. Cinereus Breeding

[firedreams]

Hi,

I have 3 P. Cinereus which I have been keeping for over 2 years now, and I was wondering what steps I should take to encourage them to breed. I know that I have at least 1 female and 1 male (verdict is out on the third sal). All of my Caudates are kept in my climate controlled "newt room", so there is little to no seasonal variation in temperature. I was wondering if I should fridge my P. Cinereuses in order to trigger breeding season responses? If so, how long should I fridge them for? (minimum time?)

Thanks,

Lydia

 

[Jennewt]

Is there a way to reduce the winter temperature in your newt room? I'll bet all (or almost all) of your caudates would benefit.

Sorry, I don't have a specific answer on the cinereus. They should be able to tolerate living in the fridge though.

 

[firedreams]

My newt room is in basement and is also subject to central air con, so unfortunately there is no way to make it any colder. It remains at a temperature of about +19 Celsius year round.

 

[eljorgo]

Plethodon need extremes to breed. You would need to alternate temperatures between very low at least 4-5ºC to moderate high around 25ºC, So yeah a LOT of variance during the year. Some day light time is also an important factor but I cant say anything about that.
I am still waiting too.

 

[firedreams]

Thanks, Eljorgo!

Do you have any advice on how long I should fridge them for? Would 1 week be sufficient? (I have never actually fridged any of my animals before, so I am a bit worried about going overboard.)

If a high temperature is required immediately following fridging, I could place their tank outside in my garage where the temperature is between +25-30C during the day. Otherwise, they would be returning to the newt room where it is a steady +19/20C. If the former option is preferrable, how long should they be left in the higher temperature environment?

Sorry for all of the questions. I really want to make sure that I do this right and don't endanger my adults! Thank you very much for your help!

Lydia

 

[firedreams]

Jennewt - I think I forgot to thank you for your input. Sorry about that, and thank you! Do you know how long I should fridge for?