11 replies to this topic

[centrarchid]

We did some collecting in one of our catchment ponds in sheep pasture and brought back what appears to be be a salamander egg mass containing embryos.  We have these from time to time in adjacent culture ponds but they never survive owing to overstocking with fish or draining.  We have also collected efts in the immediate vicinity.  Mass and embryos are too small to be be from an Ambystoma sp.  Has anyone had a mass of known ID for comparison?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Riffledace]

Those are newt eggs. Only newt egg masses have those tiny embryos.

[gerald]

I don't know, but if this source is correct then probably not .... http://www.uri.edu/c...LH_rs_newt.html

 

Females oviposit eggs singly under leaves (both dead and alive), stems of aquatic plants or on other debris where they are often covered by bits of vegetation (Petranka 1998a). Newly deposited eggs are about 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) in diameter, are light to dark brown in color, and are surrounded by three elliptical envelopes (Petranka 1998a). Females deposit 6-10 eggs per day (Ptingsten and Downs 1989) and scattered them widely through out the aquatic habitat. 80-450 eggs are deposited annually (Albert and Albert-Knoop 1999); thus, the process may take several weeks to complete (Petranka 1998a). The eggs, as well as the larvae, the eft, and the adult, are toxic (Ptingsten and Downs 1989).

 

Amphs & Reps of the Carolinas & VA (Beane et al 2010) also says they're laid singly.  So if not newt, then maybe a small frog (Acris, Pseudacris, ???)

[centrarchid]

My recollection of Newt eggs in culture ponds I managed in southern Illinois (Carbondale) is they were laid singly over very small clusters and embryos where also very small.  List of possible species involved here although I have not problem ruling out all Ambystoma spp.  I do not see any of the water breeding Eurycea spp. in the area and pond is well beyond trees line and lentic to boot.

 

Does anyone know if the Central Newt group is variable in how eggs are distributed?

 

 

I will grow these guys out to see what they are.  Some have just started hatching in petri dish on my desk.

[gerald]

Google Pseudacris egg mass -- there's some pix online that look pretty similar.  crrrrrrrrick!

BTW, newts love to eat amphibian eggs so its very common to find them near eggs that aren't theirs.

(and is probably why they lay their own eggs "singly and widely scattered")

[centrarchid]

Based on gross appearance of hatchlings, they appear to be salamanders of some sort.  Neck is forming and what appear to be exterior gills.  I have never been able to follow early development in an amphibian with a microscope before.  Will watch for abdomen pulling up behind head for a Pseudacris sp. yet.

 

We do have Spring Peepers and Western Chorus frogs I can here in front yard as I type.  Also can make out some Leopard Frogs in distance and a late season Timberdoodle.

[dac343]

For what its worth tadpoles in embryos have some gill development as well in the egg. If they are hatching though and free of the egg mass you should be able to identify whether a tadpole or newt. My other thought though is the fact that this does not look like an egg mass. It looks more like it was laid more in a string which would indicate toad and they tend to be a bit smaller. Was this sample from a larger clump?

[centrarchid]

Sample collected as a long clump.  Toads just starting to breed here and not yet in body of water where mass collected.

 

I have a huge newt population in my personal pond in pasture.  We will catch a few out and have them spawn in tank so we can look at eggs.  I now keep thinking the newt embryos I have seen previously were also green immediately upon being laid.

[centrarchid]

We are setting up four pairs of Central Newt collecting from my pond today for the purpose of collecting vouchers.  Each pair has been stocked into a five-gallon bucket supplied with plant stems and leaves upon which spermatophores and eggs can be deposited.  Some of the larvae will then be reared in a livestock rearing tank to the eft stage.

[Matt DeLaVega]

I think, and so does a buddy of mine who is better with amphibians than I that they are your local chorus frog. Newt eggs, as you mentioned are yellow to green, shouting toxic from the very beginning. My guess anyway, look forward to the outcome.

[centrarchid]

Now I would like to figure out which chorus frog.  Peepers more common  but Western also present in some locations.  After warm heavy rain last night both species singing before dawn so I can get some egg masses from actual home yard.

[centrarchid]

Egg mass collected above are clearly not salamanders / newts.  Picture below is current and typical of a tadpole.  I did find a Western Chorus on walkway coming into office this morning.  Shortly they will be evident around out raceways as the pastures dry out and adults retreat from breeding ponds.  We will attempt to rear about a dozen tadpoles.  Hopefully they easy to rear like Bullfrogs and Crawfish Frogs.

 

Student is generating known Central Newt samples to develop his lab technique.  This is first time he has actually tried to keep anything aquatic alive although he does know his way around Alligators and how they are breeding near his home.  Evidence is strong we all need to learn how to use cameras.

 

Animals he collected yesterday have been paired off and stocked out.

 

Images below are evidence of ongoing breeding activity,

http://i946.photobuc...zpsy25pmrtz.jpg

 

 

Genital area of breeding male.

Genital area of breeding female.

Replicated bucket setup, each with a ripe male and female.

Each bucket also contains plant debris throughout the water column.  Buckets will be checked daily for eggs / embryos that will then be isolated for incubation and rearing.