Updating the Hynobius keepers studbooks

[henk_wallays]

I'm currently in the process of updating the Hynobius studbook data. In the past I have kept track of Hynobius dunni (the flagship of my HYnobius adventures ...;-) but now I would like to extend this into all Hynobidae species. Due to the breeding successes of other people with this species I think thatb it is quite possible that there are people out there keeping this species that I am not aware off. If so and you would like to join the HYnobius studbook circle then inform me. A name , country and the number of animals you keep will do fine for a starters. I'm busy building out a Hynobius webpage where I will post my (and eventually other people's ) experience with this intruiging animals...

AS for now here are the species of which captive breedings have been registered :

H. dunni : in captivity since 1996 and CB since 1998 every year again. Starting with 8 animals we are currently at 247 animals (and possibly more) . In total I have knowledge of 793 CB juveniles,some which where spread out of reach for the studbook. A total of 40 people keep or have kept the species so far. The last 2 years the species has been bred by at least 3 people. Among the people is our National Zoo which I donated some specimens.

I'm currently sampling the information regarding the other Hynobius species too. The idea is to have a general view on how these animals do in captivity and if we are able to sustain them this way. Some of the Hynobius are really under a stress in nature (especially H. dunni & okeinsisis). I would also like to dream that in collaborating on this topic we could pinpoint the triggers for a success in captive husbandry of these species. They have a very interesting breeding habit , some species (H. nigrescens) even display midwife behavior. Together with the mole salamanders (which I adore too) the Hynobius are among my preferates.

So the bottom line is : if you keep any hynobius species contact me please and from my side I will try to give a general overview of how this species do in captivity and hopefully in return deliver you with information compiled from you and others on the status and eventually tips & traps on this species
You my send me private email and then I will send out the information to you. Ok ? Deal ? ;-)

 

[henk_wallays]

Thanks to the reply of some extra people the studbook of Hynobius dunni now contains 276 animals with 42 people. Also for some other species extra animals/specimens have been located. I will now work further on setting an information page online with Hynobius data. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[michael]

I remember sitting through Henks' talk on Hynobius at IAD. I told the guy next to me it was an interesting excercise but even if I wanted these salamanders I'd never see them in the U.S. The funny thing is now I've seen about 6 species of Hynobius offered in the U.S. and am keeping 2. Thanks to the info at Henks' site I know a little more about Hynobius. All I remembered from the lecture was they were rare and layed odd egg clusters. Hopefully with Henks' input we can do some succesfull Hynobius breeding in the U.S. in the next couple years.

 

[i_love_necturus]

Man, that'd be great. Maybe in after awhile there will be a good supply of CB individuals up for grabs. Who knows. I'd like to follow this through its progress as I've always found Hynobiid sals very interesting.

 

[henk_wallays]

Recently I have started to set my articles online , among which many relating to captive husbandry of Hynobidae (and other species). You can see and read them at :
http://groups.google.com/group/Urodela/web
You'll also find the recent status on my studbooks and a link list which starts from a taxonomic tree.

Hope you enjoy this ... took me a time to compile and I will add oter (travel) articles later.

 

[Jennewt]

Henk, I'm happy to see you set up a website. There's quite a lot of great info here.

 

[henk_wallays]

Hai Jen,
thanks for the positive comment. I hope I can add more 'tips and traps' in these pages ... I guess you all know the feeling where you still want to do so much but never get the time to do so...

 

[olaf]

Dear Henk,
i have just seen the first eggsac of my Hynobius dunni! i am quite happy, I will tell you if I am successful with rearing my first cb generation.
Yours, Olaf

 

[froggy]

Hi Henk and Olaf
Do you keep your H. dunni in a semiaquatic setup all year, or use a terrestrial setup outside the breeding season? I bred from my group two years ago, but last year nothing happened. I lost my only definate female as well (as well as my only female H. nebulosus, in different circumstances)...not a good year. Anyway, I moved the animals into an aquaterrarium about 1metre long, but since then they have become a lot more reclusive and I see a lot of uneaten earthworms in the moss. I was thinking of using two setups, as Henk described for his Ambystoma mavortium in another thread. Does this sound like a good idea?

Also, is there anyone else on the studbook from the UK who might have a spare female or two for trade or sale?

Congrats with the eggs, Olaf. It is a great feeling when you see the egg sacs in the water!

Chris

 

[olaf]

Hi Chris,
my Hynobius setup is almost the same through the year - semiaquatic with more water in the winter. I have hibernated my Hynobius for I think six or eight weeks in the dark cellar at 7 to 8°C. In the moment the water level is higher, so there is only a small island. After the breeding period the water depth will be only approx. 5 cm.
Yours, Olaf

 

[henk_wallays]

Hai Olaf, nice to hear about yor succes out there. Aparently your setup is close to mine. I keep them in hte same tank yearround and waterdepth varies with the seasons.

Chris sorry to read about your losses. Hope we will be able to get you across some juveniles either if I breed them or anybody else doing so. THis species is not doing to well in nature !

Regarding the hard way attack as mentioned in the mavortium thread http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?p=139546&posted=1#post139546
I have not tried out this 'hard way' procedure with my dunni... but it works with H retardatus ( 3 eggsacs now , of which the first one only holds 4 fertilised eggs and the others are to young to see yet).

 

[froggy]

Hi
Thanks for the infor - I remembered your dunni tank when I picked up my group from you (must be nearly four years ago now!), but wasn't sure if you had changed your regimen in that time. I have two animals left from my first breeding, so hopefully one or both are female. I think they will be mature next year. I would like to get some animals that aren't so closely related (at the moment I have a group of sibling adults - those I got from you - and the offspring of two of them) to reduce inbreeding. Do you know if anyone is working with nebulosus, as I have a lone male now and don't think I now have time to rebuild a breeding group of this species (I am at uni and can only maintain the setups in the holidays - the animals are fed by my brother year round, though)?

Its still early days for this breeding season, so I might still be in luck if I do have another mature female. When they bred before, it wasn't until late MArch I think, so it could still happen again.

My animals are kept in an indirectly lit garden shed and they go down to near freezing in the coldest part of the winter, but of course never frost over. Is this perhaps too cold?

Good luck with the retardatus eggs

Chris