Ambystoma mavortium breeding

[paul]

Hello,

I got my first ambystoma mavortium in 2000, but during the first years I kept them at an ambient temperature in winter in my bedroom,

november 2002 I let them outside, they were in good health and I had fed them a lot during the year,

I live in the north of France and sometimes temperature goes under -10 °C so I put a wool blanket on the terrarium thus they were protected from the cold and they were in the dark ( I think it's important), I think they spent 3 weeks between 2 and 5°C

In March 2003, I cleaned the terrarium, changed the oak leaves litter, and changed the rainwater, the temperature of the water was approximatively 10 °C, I put the salamanders in the water and then they bred...

The most difficult part is to feed the young larvae, finding little daphnias is not always easy.

For the substrate I use oak leaves litter, because I think it's very natural and it is lighter for me when I want to move the terrarium, I think that oak leaves in the water is good, I don't know how to explain it is something chemical maybe.. It's like in the forests for me...

Paul.

 

[alan]

Could you tell us how many animals are in the terrarium? Isn't one of the spawning triggers for this species supposed to be group congregation at the spawning sites?

 

[paul]

hello alan,

this year I wanted a breeding of mavortium then I put only a male and a female,

in 2003 and 2004 they were 3 males and 2 females.
( 3 melanostictum males and 2 mavortium females)

this year a friend of mine gave me a mavortium male, they are difficult to find here in France fortunately now I breed them.

 

[grant]

Wow congratulations on your successful breeding. I know someone over here that has bred tiger sals a few times in central California. He has tanks similar to the one paul showed. He has them in a cold "garage" like area. I will try to get him on this forum to talk about it.

 

[paul]

Hello from France,

new photos today !

Yesterday I had the time...

the terrarium with its water part, I did not change the water since the breeding, the water became green...

My mavortium male, it was given to me by a good friend of mine, this year the breeding is 100 % mavortium, I hope the youngs to have beautiful colors...

The "couple of the year"...

My two females !

Feeding time, I give them pieces of heart of beef, sometimes with the fingers !

A young female born in 2003, in the litter of dead oak leaves and beech (I'm not sure of the word, it is Fagus sylvatica)

 

[mark]

Looks great Paul. You want to watch those fingers. Have you ever tried your maculatum in a similar set-up out doors?

 

[paul]

Hello Mark,

My maculatum are juveniles for the moment (they are hard to find in France, i think the ones I own come from Germany)

Once they are adult, I'll put them in a similar set up, It should work !

 

[mark]

I have some adults I'll try with next year after overwintering in an outbuilding. Unfortunatley they are far more timid than mavortium and don't like being disturbed. We'll see what happens...

 

[paul]

My maculatum are very timid too ! they are always hidden under the moss or barks and I can't feed them with the forceps or fingers, they grow slowly...but with time and patience...

 

[paul]

photos of the larvae :

 

[william]

i'm going to use a similar method for my opacum, i'll keep them in a substrate of leaves and moss for the summer then put them together for the autumn in a firmer substrate.

 

[christian]

I have seen your juveniles in Tilburg, and I think they look great!!

I have five Mavortium's . and I would like to try breeding with them, in a similar setup or in my outdoor enclosure, and I hope it will work!

Thank you for taking a look at my tigers.

regards Christian