Taricha granulosa breeding! FINALLY!

Neotenic_Jaymes · Mar 15, 2015

Started laying eggs on January 14th 2015. This group was kept primarily aquatic and cooled at about 40 degrees for 2 months. Once ambient temps transitioned from 40 degrees to about 60 degrees months after the first sighting of amplexus, the female began folding eggs into small leaf plants.The female totally ignored egg laying plastic strips and java moss. Her choice of plant was elodea though she did attempt to lay on plastic and silk plants.

Currently theres well over 100 larvae and going strong. No deaths and just about 100 percent hatch rate of all eggs laid. The female was observed eating some of her own eggs but mostly she left the eggs alone. Enjoy the pics.

Credit also goes to JessKB and Gregarious. Some of these newts were passed around between us in the past year.

Cliygh and Mia · Mar 16, 2015

Awesome! I have a thing for north American newts, so this is great!

Chinadog · Mar 16, 2015

Congrats on the eggs!

Do you have any pics of your male? I always think they look fantastic in the breeding season.

Stupot1610 · Mar 16, 2015

You've clearly done a great job with these, which is always good to see. It's a shame these aren't more common in the European hobby. Good luck with all the larvae! Would you mind explaining how you raise them?

supergrappler · Mar 16, 2015

Way to go James! Can't wait to see how your larvae progress.Keep us updated brotha!

tyzoone · Mar 16, 2015

VERY COOL! What are the backgrounds on your T grans? Were they WC or CB? How old are they? I have a pair as well and our ladies look identical in every way

Hoping to get some myself soon….

Please keep sharing your progress!!!!

sde · Mar 17, 2015

YESSS!!!! I am actually super excited about this. I tried to breed them before, and failed, seems like that is the story with a lot of people who try and breed this species. Awesome to see you had success!
What was the male to female ratio? Also, what was the photoperiod change and how rapid?
Congrats man!

otolith · Mar 17, 2015

Awesome man, they all look great! I think Taricha larva are my favorite to raise, I'm a little jealous! Can't wait to see more pictures as they develop.

Neotenic_Jaymes · Mar 17, 2015

sde said:
YESSS!!!! I am actually super excited about this. I tried to breed them before, and failed, seems like that is the story with a lot of people who try and breed this species. Awesome to see you had success!

The thing ignored or not provided by most keepers is an extensive cooling period and possibly correct setup. In the wild courtship can occur for weeks or months before females begin laying eggs. During the cooling period water level was low as 5-7 inches. After the cooling, water level should be increased to simulated ponds filling up. Also ample room maybe nessecary.

sde · Mar 17, 2015

Neotenic_Jaymes said:
The thing ignored or not provided by most keepers is an extensive cooling period and possibly correct setup. In the wild courtship can occur for weeks or months before females begin laying eggs. During the cooling period water level was low as 5-7 inches. After the cooling, water level should be increased to simulated ponds filling up. Also ample room maybe nessecary.

In the wild, cold periods come and go, it will be below freezing for a week or more, then warm up a bit to around freezing or in the low 40's, and then get colder again. Or at least that has been the story the last few years. Last few years this starts in late November or early December, and lasts until late January or as long as early March. Depends on the year.
This year the migration started really early, in late January, but it isn't usually that early.
Water depth in the winter is lower than in the spring, as you say.
Another thing that I feel may be ignored is the fact that they are terrestrial for most of the year, so why people don't give them a terrestrial period from summer through winter doesn't make sense. I feel this may help a significant amount in breeding attempts.
If I ever get ahold of this species again ( I hope this spring! ), I will put them in a unheated outdoor shed. I will have them in a terrestrial setup for most the year, and transition them into a aquatic setup at the same time the wild population begins migrating. Breeding this species is my Newt Holy Grail.

Otterwoman · Mar 17, 2015

I got eggs from mine too!!

Cliygh and Mia · Mar 17, 2015

Please, Please, PLEASE TAKE PICTURES!!!

It's so exciting when people breed their animals!!!

Neotenic_Jaymes · Mar 17, 2015

sde said:
In the wild, cold periods come and go, it will be below freezing for a week or more, then warm up a bit to around freezing or in the low 40's, and then get colder again. Or at least that has been the story the last few years. Last few years this starts in late November or early December, and lasts until late January or as long as early March. Depends on the year.

As long as the newts experience long periods of colder temps, you can consider that a cooling period. During cold temps some hibernate some don't. Some go terrestrial some don't. Even if it goes from 35 degrees to 45 degrees. A change in temps won't matter much unless it's significantly warmer.

Also going terrestrial, breeding and hibernating depends on locale. Taricha has a pretty big range that overlaps different terrain and habitats, some populations are mostly terrestrial and others fully aquatic. Northern populations react different to southern populations. Populations in high elevation go their own course also.

Neotenic_Jaymes · Mar 17, 2015

otterwoman said:
I got eggs from mine too!!

AWESOME! Are you talking T. granulosa or T. rivularis?

velasco13000 · Mar 17, 2015

It's a really good thing that you guys are breeding this amazing species. It had been a while since I saw that any breeding of this species. The larvae appear hard to raise? I do have a group of t. Torosa but I had not giving it a go into breeding them. Probably way different since these guys are mostly terrestrial. You ever breed torosas?

Neotenic_Jaymes · Mar 17, 2015

velasco13000 said:
It's a really good thing that you guys are breeding this amazing species. It had been a while since I saw that any breeding of this species. The larvae appear hard to raise? I do have a group of t. Torosa but I had not giving it a go into breeding them. Probably way different since these guys are mostly terrestrial. You ever breed torosas?

I wouldn't think they're too different in means of stimulation in order to breed. Maybe even the same methods will work, very possible the same methods will work. I just can't say because I never bred T. torosa.

otolith · Mar 17, 2015

velasco13000 said:
It's a really good thing that you guys are breeding this amazing species. It had been a while since I saw that any breeding of this species. The larvae appear hard to raise? I do have a group of t. Torosa but I had not giving it a go into breeding them. Probably way different since these guys are mostly terrestrial. You ever breed torosas?

Taricha larvae are pretty easy in my experience. They are tolerant of changes in temperature and water chemistry (as long as ammonia and nitrate don't spike). They also hatch at a larger size than most and can eat a variety of foods weeks from hatching.

velasco13000 · Mar 17, 2015

I can try and see if I can breed them now but it's probably too late maybe. I love these torosas but granulosas were my favorite because they are more aquatic. How big of a tank do you have them in? Are they still laying?

Otterwoman · Mar 18, 2015

Neotenic_Jaymes said:
AWESOME! Are you talking T. granulosa or T. rivularis?

T grans

velasco13000 · Mar 18, 2015

do you plan to raise them up dawn??

Taricha granulosa breeding! FINALLY!

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