Very precocious T.dobrogicus

[Azhael]

Well, i thought i´d make a little update on this year´s T.dobrogicus, which at barely 3 months after metamorphosis are all grown up (except they aren´t really...).
Of the 5 juveniles, two are males and already courting like mad, with their little crests, their swollen cloacas and their breeding coloration. The largest female is already practicing egg laying.

I have no idea how it´s possible that they are so developed at such an early age...the males became obvious just a month and a half or so after morphing!!!

Since i´m in the posting mood, i´m also adding a couple of (very bad, sorry....) pictures of this year´s pyrrhogaster too, some of which have doubled in size. They are all doing very well and eating like there´s no tomorrow.

I´m just waiting for the temps to drop to ship the whole lot of them! xD


PS: I know the quality is terrible...i´m sorry, i really can´t do better :S

 

[xMIDNIGHTx]

What a bunch of good looking newts! I too am amazed at how quickly they show there sex so soon after morphing. Mine literally morphed about a month ago and I can easily tell between the males and females (little crest is a dead giveaway along with body shape, color, etc). This was my first year breeding this species... definitely hardy and prolific!

I love your pyrrhogaster. Keep us update with more pics of those little guys! Are you planning on keeping any of the offspring?

Mitch

 

[Azhael]

I´m only keeping one T.dobrogicus female to replace the one i lost. The rest (5) will be given away to a good friend of mine along with a group of pyrrhogaster.
It´s not easy to part from them, but i couldn´t possibly keep more xDD

Best of lucks with yours!

 

[fabian]

Hi Azhael,

... pictures of this year´s pyrrhogaster too, some of which have doubled in size. They are all doing very well and eating like there´s no tomorrow.

How long did this take? How big were they after metamophosis, and how big are they now? My pyrrhogaster offspring always grows terribly slow.

Greetz
Fabian

 

[Azhael]

Well, they morphed at 2-2.5 cm long, and after a little over 3 months, the first ones to morph are a just over 4 cm long. Still small, but doing very well.

 

[Joost]

My pyrrhogasters grow the first year to a length of 8-9 cm. After that it will slow down.

 

[evut]

I just looked at my biggest pyrrhogaster larva (hatched 17 July) and it already has 2.5 cm. How old were yours when they morphed, Azhael?

 

[Azhael]

3-4 months old, i think.
I raised the larvae with the parents and it seems the food possibilities weren´t enough, so they started morphing at a small size. I had had good results with C.orientalis in the same tank, but i suposse 6 adult pyrrhogaster leave less options for the larvae than 2 adult orientalis xDD
It was a bit tricky at first, but despite the tiny size, they quickly started to do very well.
Next breeding season (which might be around the corner since the males are all in breeding dress) i´ll raise a bunch of them separately and see if i get bigger sizes at metamorphosis. Doesn´t really bother me that they morph small, though...