PREGNANT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T

tom

Guest
I have a redback slalamnder and it is twice as thick as a normal one, has a white section with a red vein on its lower body near the beginning of the tail, and is kind of lethargic. Is she pregnant???
 
Sounds like a sick sal to me. White spots are never good on a sal. She sounds like she need to see a vet and soon. I would find a vet that can deal with amphibians soon. Your sal needs help. Mabye if you post more symtoms and condition it is in right now we can further help you. sry your post got pushed down so far. I just noticed it.
 
It's not so much white spots as it is a white section floating around. I noticed two more with pretty much the same problem, except they're not as fat and lethargic. I think the fat part came later. But, i put them in seperate tanks anyway. And i noticed the really fat one is hiding alot and has pretty much stopped moving at all, except; of course; to eat earthworms and the occasional friut fly.
 
If the enlarged area is symmetrical, perhaps it could be the development of eggs. Without a photo, it's pretty hard to say.
 
Here are some pics of the "pregnant" salamander. Sry if some are blurry. The "pregnant" one is on the left.
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This is the pregnant one's underside. I hope it's good enough.
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It sure looks to me like it could be eggs. In some species you can see them right through the skin. But I'm hoping someone with direct experience with redbacks will answer.
 
i would also like to know, if she is pregnant,:
1) How long does the egg-laying process take and how will i be able to tell it's happened?
2) How long will it take for the juveniles to hatch?
3) What should i feed the juveniles?
4) When can i move them back in the big tank with the two other adults?
5) Do i have to remove the mother from her own tank when the babies hatch?
 
That answers some of my questions, but i'd like more information.
 
One way you can see if she has eggs is to put her (very gently) into a ziploc bag, sort of sandwich her between the plastic, and hold a flashlight up to her back. You should be able to see the eggs if they are there, they are pretty large.

If she is gravid, you'll want to put her by herself with a hiding place for her to lay the eggs. If she were to lay the eggs when in a tank with others, they would probably eat her eggs. It doesn't take too long for her to lay them all once she has started. You will see her with her eggs, they are large and obvious. She should stay with them and take care of them until they hatch. I think it takes about a month to hatch, but I'm not sure.

The hatchlings will be just like miniature adults, and they can probably eat the same thing you feed the adults--fruitflies, small crickets, whatever, as long as its way bigger than them.

This species is pretty territorial and its hard to predict how tolerant the adults will be of new juveniles in their territory. You may want to consider getting more housing for them to prevent aggression.
 
I looked at her through the bag, and i could clearly see the eggs. Should i just move the juveniles (when there are any) to a separate tank and leave them there, or can i move them into the bigger tank after a while? Once the eggs are laid, will i notice the female is skinnier? Once the eggs hatch, can the female move back in the normal tank?

Thanks for all your help so far.
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Would wrapping them up in a moist paper towel and spraying it twice daily be the same as having a mother there? Because i remember reading somewhere that the mothers keep the eggs moist and that's all.
 
I read that the female may sometimes eat the eggs and I would like some juveniles because it will be very interesting to watch them grow.
 
I've read that the females only eat infertile/fungaly infected eggs, and their body toxins act as a fungicide to prevent them from getting infected. Some one correct me if I'm wrong.
 
leaving the mom in with the eggs would probably be better, she will take care of them, keep them moist, and should only eat ones that die or get infected. i know someone who kept many females with their clutches and did not have any trouble with getting hatchlings.
 
im gonna get a salamander out of my pond this week or in the beginin of summer.im not sure what type of salamander there is in the pond area i live in ohio if that helps.
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Michael, this doesn't really belong here, it's a new topic. Maybe a moderator will move it.

It is VERY important that you identify the salamander before you bring it into captivity. Some salamanders are aquatic right now, but their normal habitat is not aquatic the rest of the year. Also, there are some legality issues - you don't want to mess with an animal that is illegal to collect. Also, consider whether you can keep it cool enough indoors.
 
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