Should I hibernate or not?

[Molch]

Now I'm all conflicted about what to do with my pyrrhogasters: the male is courting like a sinner , and the females are fat and happy, but they don't look gravid to me - not like my alpine girl, who looks ready to have a calf.

Originally, I was going to stick them in a moist moss hibernation box for about 6 weeks, but when the male started courtship I thought I'd wait and see.

However, I think maybe the girls need the hibernation to become gravid? Or do they? If I hibernated them now, could I break the spell and cause them to reabsorb eggs they may be developing?

Am I overthinking this?

 

[vide]

I would have the same considerations as you are having. Call it over thinking but I think it comes whit the hobby!
I´m thinking the best thing to do would be to keep them in there enclosure and try to lower the temperatures for them there, I guess down to about 10 C for a few weeks would be the best. But even if you cant lower the temps I would skip a terrestrial hibernation.

Best of luck!

-Vide

 

[Azhael]

In my experience, you just have to be patient. Males will start courting waaaaaaay before the the females are even remotely ready, but no significant cooling seems to be necessary (at least for mine). You could try what Viv says, and slightly cool the tank (it´s not necessary to go as low as 10ºC, though), but taking them out to go through a terrestrial cooling period (not a real hibernation, they don´t do that) is completely unnecessary.
It may be a patience trial but they´ll get there eventually.

 

[Molch]

aah okay. Their tank is currently at 55-58 F, depending on outside Temp, and I have a 8 hr photoperiod. I can get it a few degrees colder in there, but the alpines are in the same room and they look ready to lay. So I'll just sit and be patient.

 

[Molch]

another couple of questions:

- is there any evidence that male courtship may actually stimulate the females to develop eggs?

- is there any data on how pyrrhogaster hibernates in its native habitat? I mean, the mountains of Japan get serious winters with snow and all; surely some of their ponds will freeze over - would they hibernate on land in that case?

 

[fabian]

Hi,
I don't know about their hibernation in Japan, but I agree with Azhael in every point of his statement! 55°F is cold enough to trigger breeding. With temperatures like this my pyrrhogaster breed every year. I have alpestris apuanus on the same temperatures and normaly they start laying first (3-4 weeks early).
Greetz
Fabian

 

[Jennewt]

I think they are cold enough to consider this their cold period. A couple of degrees cooler wouldn't hurt, but mine certainly don't get below 65F, and breed anyway. Keep feeding them with lots of earthworms. I think heavy feeding with earthworms (preferably all year round) is a major key to breeding.