Zach Hoglund
Member
This is my second successful year of breeding Taricha Torosa. I've received many messages on tips to do this so here it is. The things I'm about to share ONLY applies to Taricha Torosa, Granulosa, Sierrae; Rivularis is very different and difficult to keep in captivity, I will eventually try to acquire some but won't happen for a very long time.
Going to keep this short, the common methods of breeding salamanders is cooling and raising temperatures, Tarichas aren't really different. The biggest mistake of fail attempts of breeding which is the failure to provide land mass. Tarichas almost never spend time in water besides from breeding season, so failure to provide comfortable land area is where everyone fails. A land area is NOT a floating piece of bark above the water, it should be a full terrestrial area for the newts to burrow and hide.
Cooling MUST be done on land, and be done as cool as possible preferable below 47 F.
My first batch of eggs were produced when I left the tank outside of the house for 2 months during winter and took them in. I started with a group of 5 consists of 3 females and 2 males. The first year I was able to produce 20+ eggs from the first pair I got back then when backwaterreptiles sold them, the other 3 I got from another gentlemen. What I did this year was set up a large 50-gallon bin outside on my balcony during fall which is the last time of the year they will semi be in the water. Above the water in the bin I had a smaller container with terrestrial land area where the newts can climb out of and get in which I can then remove and throw in the frige to hibernate, when the newts climbed out during November of 2023 I took out the smaller container and hibernated them until February, they were taken out and put back in the outside bin, in which I relied on natural rain to wake them up. In late March they laid a small pouch of eggs less than 12, I'm assuming these are from the smaller females.
PLEASE remember that once a female Taricha breeds and lays eggs she will NOT lay eggs or breed for at least a year or two, this is why when you see this species captive bred they are not very cheap. My female that bred early 2023 remained skinny throughout breeding season this year and it was the younger 2 females that laid eggs. Usually there is a 2 years gap between egg laying, this is what makes wild collecting these animals in mass and selling despicable. I'm hoping my other female that never bred will lay some this year but as for now it is looking highly unlikely as all my females have been skinny and eating slow. Also I acquired 4 additional males this year which really seem to did the trick. Tarichas are very different from most mainstream newts in the hobby that prefers pairs or trios, they would prefer the giant breeding ball of males tangling around the female so more males is always helpful (aboviously the females needs to be ready as well).
DO NOT put skinny females in the frige when cooling, especially after egg laying females will remain skinny for over a year. Make sure they are all fed well before hibernating, DON'T hibernate non-well fed tarichas.
Granulosas requires cooler cooling temperature so around low 40s.
Life stage: know that Tarichas are extremely slow growing, it takes around 5-6 months for metamorphosis and some will take 8 months. Some of mine that hatched in April didn't completely come on land until the end of the year. Once they are about to morph into efts, please provide land area or else they will drown within a few minutes. Young Taricha efts are also very slow growing, if they can be 1.5 inch the first year (from coming on land) you are lucky and doing good. it is not until 2-2.5 inches they can swim in water (very shallow). this will take 2-3 years. So be patient.
NONESENSE WARNING
I've been seeing people on morph market and on here as well selling "captive bred Taricha sp" I can sincerely warn everyone that almost all of them are lies. I'm seeing people listing them as newborns and they are already 3-5 inches which is ridiculous, 3 inch is end of year 2 (very well fed TO THE TIP OF THE TAIL and good gene if you're lucky) and i GARAUNTEE that they aren't 80 bucks each, if that's the case the breeder is suffering lost. ANY Tarciha at 3-5 inches should not be reasonable listed as 80 bucks each.... Also, these posts happens to be posted during breeding season which is just absurd because if it's newborn then the next breeding season they are less than 2 inches for sure also obviously collected (gravid). A gravid Taricha will NOT lay eggs if you remove them from the pond (got this from a zoologist).
I hope this post helps some future breeders and I appreciate all of those who sent me messages about it, please feel free to dm or comment I don't come on here a lot but if I can help I'm happy to. Also I hope this post explains why these animals are priced the way they are.
Going to keep this short, the common methods of breeding salamanders is cooling and raising temperatures, Tarichas aren't really different. The biggest mistake of fail attempts of breeding which is the failure to provide land mass. Tarichas almost never spend time in water besides from breeding season, so failure to provide comfortable land area is where everyone fails. A land area is NOT a floating piece of bark above the water, it should be a full terrestrial area for the newts to burrow and hide.
Cooling MUST be done on land, and be done as cool as possible preferable below 47 F.
My first batch of eggs were produced when I left the tank outside of the house for 2 months during winter and took them in. I started with a group of 5 consists of 3 females and 2 males. The first year I was able to produce 20+ eggs from the first pair I got back then when backwaterreptiles sold them, the other 3 I got from another gentlemen. What I did this year was set up a large 50-gallon bin outside on my balcony during fall which is the last time of the year they will semi be in the water. Above the water in the bin I had a smaller container with terrestrial land area where the newts can climb out of and get in which I can then remove and throw in the frige to hibernate, when the newts climbed out during November of 2023 I took out the smaller container and hibernated them until February, they were taken out and put back in the outside bin, in which I relied on natural rain to wake them up. In late March they laid a small pouch of eggs less than 12, I'm assuming these are from the smaller females.
PLEASE remember that once a female Taricha breeds and lays eggs she will NOT lay eggs or breed for at least a year or two, this is why when you see this species captive bred they are not very cheap. My female that bred early 2023 remained skinny throughout breeding season this year and it was the younger 2 females that laid eggs. Usually there is a 2 years gap between egg laying, this is what makes wild collecting these animals in mass and selling despicable. I'm hoping my other female that never bred will lay some this year but as for now it is looking highly unlikely as all my females have been skinny and eating slow. Also I acquired 4 additional males this year which really seem to did the trick. Tarichas are very different from most mainstream newts in the hobby that prefers pairs or trios, they would prefer the giant breeding ball of males tangling around the female so more males is always helpful (aboviously the females needs to be ready as well).
DO NOT put skinny females in the frige when cooling, especially after egg laying females will remain skinny for over a year. Make sure they are all fed well before hibernating, DON'T hibernate non-well fed tarichas.
Granulosas requires cooler cooling temperature so around low 40s.
Life stage: know that Tarichas are extremely slow growing, it takes around 5-6 months for metamorphosis and some will take 8 months. Some of mine that hatched in April didn't completely come on land until the end of the year. Once they are about to morph into efts, please provide land area or else they will drown within a few minutes. Young Taricha efts are also very slow growing, if they can be 1.5 inch the first year (from coming on land) you are lucky and doing good. it is not until 2-2.5 inches they can swim in water (very shallow). this will take 2-3 years. So be patient.
NONESENSE WARNING
I've been seeing people on morph market and on here as well selling "captive bred Taricha sp" I can sincerely warn everyone that almost all of them are lies. I'm seeing people listing them as newborns and they are already 3-5 inches which is ridiculous, 3 inch is end of year 2 (very well fed TO THE TIP OF THE TAIL and good gene if you're lucky) and i GARAUNTEE that they aren't 80 bucks each, if that's the case the breeder is suffering lost. ANY Tarciha at 3-5 inches should not be reasonable listed as 80 bucks each.... Also, these posts happens to be posted during breeding season which is just absurd because if it's newborn then the next breeding season they are less than 2 inches for sure also obviously collected (gravid). A gravid Taricha will NOT lay eggs if you remove them from the pond (got this from a zoologist).
I hope this post helps some future breeders and I appreciate all of those who sent me messages about it, please feel free to dm or comment I don't come on here a lot but if I can help I'm happy to. Also I hope this post explains why these animals are priced the way they are.
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