# Benedicta calling already!



## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

I got four benedicta's from Josh's frogs in September 2015. Last week they started calling. Tonight more calling and courting going on. I've watched them (almost) non-stop for almost two hours. I feel like a peeping Tom. 

These are my first thumbs so I'm super excited they are breeding already. Hopefully I'll see eggs this weekend. I've attached a picture of the pair I saw courting. Then two other pictures of them also (not necessarily the pair - it's hard to tell them apart).


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

Congrats! Once they start breeding they are very prolific. Breeding is the best time to see them moving about without darting for cover. Make sure you have leaf litter for the eggs and canisters with water for deposition. I find new tads in my canisters weekly.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

Awesome news! Hope they get going for you.
My Benedicta are on my "hardly see em" list. I was thrilled last night at 12:45 when one of them spent a half hour in the open hunting Turkish Gliders along the top the viv. 

I like the way your frogs have other black markings on the face. Mine have just the Zoro mask and solid red-orange hood but the shape of the mark is distinct enough to tell them apart. The size variation in my group may just be because of and age difference but they are getting to adult age now. 

Do the males tend to be larger or smaller than females? Should tads and froglets remain in the parent's tank? I'm guessing they should. What do you do with weekly deposits? 

GL with them...


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

oldlady25715 said:


> Congrats! Once they start breeding they are very prolific. Breeding is the best time to see them moving about without darting for cover. Make sure you have leaf litter for the eggs and canisters with water for deposition. I find new tads in my canisters weekly.


Thanks! I have had one canister in there for a few weeks. I'll see about ordering some more. it was up higher in the viv, but after rereading some of the other threads I think I'll put some on the ground covered in leaves also. I also added a deli cup with water today just in case.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

RRRavelo said:


> Awesome news! Hope they get going for you.
> My Benedicta are on my "hardly see em" list. I was thrilled last night at 12:45 when one of them spent a half hour in the open hunting Turkish Gliders along the top the viv.
> 
> I like the way your frogs have other black markings on the face. Mine have just the Zoro mask and solid red-orange hood but the shape of the mark is distinct enough to tell them apart. The size variation in my group may just be because of and age difference but they are getting to adult age now.
> ...


Thank you! It's hard for me to tell them apart, but partly because I don't seen them all at the same time. In fact for several months I thought I had three and one had died, because I only ever saw two. Then I saw four last weekend and thought I must have missed a clutch. But it was as large as the others so I went back to my invoice and realized I got four.  I've only for sure seen one calling. So I'll try and pay more attention and see if the male is larger or smaller.


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## wlrodman (Nov 3, 2015)

Great to hear about your Benedicta's calling already... 

I received some from Josh's last year about the same time. So, it sounds like they're just about ready to start trying. That's got me excited! I'm almost certain I have a pair, as they are always hanging around the bromeliad together.

Also, I notice that they like to forage in the morning between 9:00 and 11:00 AM. So, its a lot easier to see them then.

Looking forward to more news!


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

They are still calling, but I've not seen eggs. I can't seem to find film canisters locally, so I'm gonna have to break down and order some. I still only have one in the tank, so that's maybe why no eggs yet.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Thought I'd post an update. It's been two months of constant calling. Haven't seen an egg mass or tadpoles yet, but to be fair I'm never really looking for eggs. I do check the film canisters and broms weekly for tads. Magnolia leaves cover the floor of the tank. Maybe they aren't laying eggs yet, but no matter when I'm sitting next to the tank (it's next to my computer), I can hear them calling all the time. Thought I'd post a couple photos.

Humidity is around 75-80% (varies with misting), temps are 69 over night and 73 during the day. There are six film canisters and six broms. Five of the film canisters are on the side of the tank, one on the ground (that one is covered in leaves). They all have some water in them. 

I'll just keep waiting.


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## pantherchams (Apr 21, 2012)

Tell them to hurry up, I need 6 for my biopod


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

It's funny but since your last update I found 7 Bennie eggs in my viv. What's weird though is I never noticed any calling or mating behavior just a clump of eggs right next to the top glass of the viv. on top of a broad leaf. Really easy to access for me. 

I have a lot of other darts calling in the same room(imis, pumilio, vanzos, ect) so maybe I missed the calls because of that. I'm trying to decide weather to pull the eggs when they're almost ready to pop or let the parents transport them. I'm leaning towards the former just because of the easy access; right up against the door.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

pantherchams said:


> Tell them to hurry up, I need 6 for my biopod


I'm super excited for my biopod. Hopefully any day now!


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

RRRavelo said:


> It's funny but since your last update I found 7 Bennie eggs in my viv. What's weird though is I never noticed any calling or mating behavior just a clump of eggs right next to the top glass of the viv. on top of a broad leaf. Really easy to access for me.
> 
> I have a lot of other darts calling in the same room(imis, pumilio, vanzos, ect) so maybe I missed the calls because of that. I'm trying to decide weather to pull the eggs when they're almost ready to pop or let the parents transport them. I'm leaning towards the former just because of the easy access; right up against the door.


I'm still waiting for eggs.  I planned on leaving mine in the tank though. These are my first thumbnails and I didn't want to mess it up.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

A shot of Bennies and the clutch...


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

Sorry about the picture quality. Pics posted from my phone never turn out well when the program resizes them....


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Thanks for posting pictures! Hum...maybe I'm going to have to start looking a lot closer!


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## PoisonArrow (Apr 8, 2016)

Awesome, am looking forward to getting my Varadero's soon and they too will be my first Thumbnail.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

I removed 2 eggs that looked viable. We'll see how they do. I'll post a few shots if they live. I may have pulled them too soon.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

Looks like the two eggs hatched out ok. I transfered the two viable eggs to the container put them in the water and they emerged after 2 more days.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

RRRavelo said:


> Looks like the two eggs hatched out ok. I transfered the two viable eggs to the container put them in the water and they emerged after 2 more days.


Yay!  Congrats. I still have pretty constant calling, but have seen nothing.  In fact they are calling right now.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Hum...almost two full months of calling and nothing. I am checking for eggs and tads every few days now. 6 black film canisters and 4 broms. Two shallow salsa cups with water on the floor of the viv. The film canisters usually have water in them also maybe 1/4 full. Broms usually have water in the cups too.

Has anyone had males call in the absence of a female? I guess I could have four males, but it sure looks like I have a pair. When one is calling (often from under a curled leaf) it usually attracts another and they seem to hang out for about an hour then go their own ways. I usually look at the leaf they were on and there isn't anything on it. I have not seen more than one calling at a time and it appears to be the same one (but it's really hard to tell). Thoughts?

thanks
Mike


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

I've still not heard any calling from my Bennies but there are 5 other species calling in the same room so it's hard to tell. So far my guys have put eggs on broad leaved plants near the top of the viv. and also put eggs on the back of the glass vertically. After pulling the 1st five into containers I've been letting them o the transporting. Vertical white film containers and shallow deli cups have been used so far. They have put tads in both...


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Mine are almost always calling from a broad leaf within 1/2-1 inch of the top of the viv. That's where I see all the courting going on. But so far no eggs. I'll just keep crossing my fingers.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

Yeah, I spot my pair sitting on the same leaf ass cheek to ass cheek all the time so it sounds good for you. Keep checking those cups. You said there are broms so keep an eye out for a surprise froglets.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

RRRavelo said:


> Yeah, I spot my pair sitting on the same leaf ass cheek to ass cheek all the time so it sounds good for you. Keep checking those cups. You said there are broms so keep an eye out for a surprise froglets.


I'm thinking the same thing. I feed. They are all over tank. Then the males goes to his leaf (or sometimes one of the film canisters and sits and calls. Then another finally goes and sits with him (usually side by side along the leaf edge where it curls up). Then that's as far as i see anything happen. Maybe I'm just missing them. But I'm terrified of having the doors open for too long to do a lot of looking, because they are lightning fast and I'm afraid one (or more will get out).


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## Telly80 (Mar 28, 2016)

I thought I read somewhere that immitators call to claim territory too? Although with 4, odds are good that you have at least ONE female! Good luck!


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Telly80 said:


> I thought I read somewhere that immitators call to claim territory too? Although with 4, odds are good that you have at least ONE female! Good luck!


Thanks! I believe I saw that in a thread here also. So I was wondering if maybe that's what's going on with mine. But the two frogs I see when the calling is happening don't seem to be fighting or anything like that. So I don't know. I'll just keep looking.


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## RRRavelo (Nov 21, 2007)

I know what you mean about being paranoid about those little rockets getting out. I lost one of mine early on and I've been kind of gun shy with them ever since. My only escapee so far. 

I have my guys in a 10 horizontal I was using as a grow out with a European style top so half the top tilts up to open. I was working on a 20 vert. for them and they started putting down eggs in the ten so now I didn't want to move them. 

They were much more skittish that my other thumbs at the start and I would not call them bold at this point either but I see some behavior now instead of just a disappearing act. They are starting to "tend" the tads in containers now. It took them a long time but they now eat FFs right after I feed them and not 2 hours later. 

They like to hang on leaves right up next to the top, sometimes right under the lid. I tend to do my headcount when they settle near the top for the night instead of at feeding time. 

The behavior you describe sounds a lot like mating to me so if you see them hanging around one container more than the others or calling from a container there might be a tad there. Maybe you can check for tads and eggs after they bed down or if you still don't want to open the top much you can try shinning a small light into the containers. The tads tend to squiggle around a bit when you "flash" them.


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## Phishsaw (May 27, 2016)

Anymore update on the bennies mating?


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