Breeders-selectionists of tailed amphibians

[alexander]

Dear colleagues!
Approximately 15% (according to my long observations over Russian terrariumists) of the keepers anyhow are breeders of tailed amphibians. But the culture of amphibians eventually comes to the selection work (in spite of the fact that the selection work is difficult and risky).
In my cuadata-collection several species of newts breed from time to time. But newts of Cynops orientalis spawn all the year round. Their larvae are very tenacious of life and juveniles attain the majority in one and a half year. By nature I am selectionist-breeder and I chose 3 directions in my selection work: silver, yellow and “maximus” Cynops orientalis. But the results of my selection work don’t allow me to boast now… There are two cases of appearance of albinos in 2004 and 2005 but they were weak and died.

I have written this message for the clarification of 2 questions:

1) Who from caudata-breeders has selection work (how long, what species, directions of selection, photos of generation after generation, final result etc). I decided to create an information-coordination database in the Internet for the selectionists-breeders and now I try to understand the importance of this topic.

2) I know that some from you are biologists, ecologists, veterinaries, chemists etc by profession. So I would like to get information from you about methods of influence upon mutation of newts.

 

[william]

i know that many people like to breed reptiles into hundreds of different colour morphs, the corn snake and leopard gecko are good examples. but as someone else once said, the great thing about amphibians is that they are raw, species material, with hardly any examples of selective breeding, that's personally how i like to keep things, but i am a bit of a purist. I'd like to hear other peoples views on the subject.

 

[henk]

Well we have always the white carnifex strain and all the odd axolotls.
Currently I can add white retardatus and leechii quelpartensis to this story (if I am succesfull rearing the white large larvae...)
Nevertheless I am not selectioning them, but keep them apart since their evolution is different from their brothers (slower) and they would probably get eaten.... And if you talk about colormorphs there's always the red/orange salmandra keepers too

 

[william]

but in most cases they are natural, breeding "maximus" is different...

 

[david]

Specialized breeding for "designer" animals seems interesting, but I've always wondered if anyone had tried to minmize the genetic problem of the tail bud formation in some of the triturus species through selective breeding. Imagine 90 to 100 percent of eggs hatching

 

[william]

true that would be nice! personally i'll stay away though!

 

[john]

Well, I'm very new to the idea of breeding amphibs but it has been my plan to do some selective breeding. After I have some success merely breeding, of course.

 

[benjamin]

Right now we're in an age where genetic modification could come into the equation, that could remove the tail bud problem, but I doubt if people started genetically manipulating animals for the pet trade it would take a long time for them to get interested in doing anything about newts.

 

[alexander]

Thanks to all.
I see, Henk, we are very early in the “movement of breeders-selectionists of tailed amphibians” and our circle is very very small. But the key condition in this work is continuation.
By the way, what do you know about existence at present of
1) the “farm of albinos of Salamandra salamandra” in the Central France.
2) locality of “yellow” newts of Mesotriton alpestris in Luxemburg?

 

[jennifer]

Regarding the failure of some Triturus at the tail bud stage... this is not something easily cured by genetic modification. And it definitely could not be cured by selective breeding. It isn't an error in a gene, it's an aberration of an entire chromosome. I think we just have to live with it!

Regarding mutants... we already have the problem (in the US, at least) that we do not have enough interested people to breed and distribute even the "normal" varieties of newts and sals! I also hear that this is a problem in Europe, as it is sometimes difficult to acquire species that were previously bred, but have become "unfashionable". People get bored of breeding common species, and move on to more obscure varieties/subspecies, or perhaps, color variants. Then, nobody competent is left keeping a significant population of the normal or less "hot" species. For any species to be viable in captivity in the long-term, it is necessary to have a significant captive population in the hands of many people.

I don't condemn anyone for being interested in color variants or unusual varieties. But UNTIL we have enough people to breed and distribute the "normal" species in captivity, I have no interest in being involved in keeping such animals.

 

[nate]

I agree wholeheartedly with Jennifer on this.

 

[william]

here here!