# Breeding Behavior?



## andry (Jun 15, 2010)

My trio has been together 2-3 years now and have never laid eggs that I know of. Previous owner tried and was unsuccessful. I tried when I first got them in July 2010 and there was a lot of calling but nothing either. This year, I moved them into a new tank and was planning on getting another two to see if I can get some breeding going on, but it seems before I have made my purchase, I have seen some breeding behavior. 

I have two chocolate Leucs. One I know for sure male. The second I think is a male also, just never calls. The third one is black and yellow and looks to be a probable female although never showed any interest in the two chocolates. She would always hang by herself. 

Starting two days ago I have watched as the male has called like crazy and the female is just following him around the entire tank. 

This morning I saw her pounce on him, is this mating behavior? The first day it was just a lot of following around, but now they are being so aggressive. But he is calling almost non-stop, so that's what convinces me this has to be breeding behavior. 

Let me know what you think. Here are pictures and links to two video's from this morning.

My black and yellow probable female:









Here she is with the male you can see is calling:









Does she look gravid to you? Sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn't to me.

















Here is my third little probable male, all alone and sad and gets beat up on if he gets in the way like he did this morning....

















Here is the female attacking the male this morning:


















In this picture she does not look gravid...she's on the left:









Here is the link to the videos...the first is where she attacks him...later he is on her...the first is a little longer than the second and there is more action in the first video, he is calling while under her and she makes him fall off the plant. The second video is kind of boring, but if you notice right at the start, the third probable male is just laying there flat because he had just gotten beat up on by the dominant male. Poor thing.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

that looks like aggressive behavior to me, not breeding behavior. how sure are you that the two are a male and female? was one added to the other's enclosure later?

james


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## andry (Jun 15, 2010)

I only know for sure the male is a male because he calls all the time. The other two, I am only guessing. Can anyone tell by the pictures if the black and yellow (standard) leucomela is a female? 

But then why are they following each other around for days? Maybe I have all males and they are in the mood but just don't have a mate so therefore they are fighting?

They have always been together. Nothing new except for me switching them to this new 75 gallon tank in January.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Andry,

I have only had a female Leucomelas wrestle a male when the male was first added to the female's enclosure.

I have my two standard leuc pairs in a divided 55 gallon and one of the males spends almost all his time trying to get to the male one the other side.

So, it does seem likely that the second frog might be a male. If you can separate the weaker animal into its own tank, let it build up its confidence for a while, then play the leucomelas call back to it, you might find that it would be willing to call back to you.

Good luck with them, Richard.


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## andry (Jun 15, 2010)

Thanks! I have been thinking of separating that weaker male to a separate tank for a long time and just haven't done it. Then after I switched them to the 75 gallon and planned on getting a couple more leucs to help out with breeding, I figured it was big enough that they'd have enough individual space. But now with all the calling and madness with the other two, he is fine if he stays on his own side of the tank, not fine when he gets in the way.


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## Allyn Loring (Sep 30, 2008)

Has anyone found that the more sub. individual at times more likely to breed?


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## andry (Jun 15, 2010)

Alright everyone, here's the news....

The way I had sexed them as probable's was correct. I can't believe after all this time. 9 months later of me owning them, and 3 months later of being moved from their old tank to this new one, and about 4 weeks later from me setting petrie dishes under huts in the tank, I have eggs!!!!

The black Leuc is a female, and for the first time ever today, the other chocolate frog I thought was a male but he had never called before, started calling A-LOT!!! He must have gotten excited with all the egg laying. 

While Male 1 and Female were in the hut doing business, Male 2 was on top of the hut they were in, singing away!!! Got back home from church to find a big glob of guck along with 3 or 4 eggs. I can't really tell because I haven't taken them out yet.

So, now what? Do I pull the eggs now? Am I at risk that the female will eat her own eggs or only other females eat the eggs? How do I know the male has fertilized them? I know they were both in there when they laid them, I just didn't know if they would be automatically fertilized or not.

Thanks all!


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

leave the eggs for 2-3 days to ensue the male fertilizes them. i would pull them after that since like you said the females will eat each others eggs.

james


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

james67 said:


> leave the eggs for 2-3 days to ensue the male fertilizes them. i would pull them after that since like you said the females will eat each others eggs.
> 
> james


I don't understand. Andry now knows that their are 2 males and 1 female. Will the female eat her own eggs?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

james67 said:


> leave the eggs for 2-3 days to ensue the male fertilizes them. i would pull them after that since like you said the females will eat each others eggs.
> 
> james


 
Once the egg jelly is fully hydrated is unlikely to allow penetration by sperm (and sperm trapping by egg jelly is reported in the literature) so there is no value in waiting two or three days for the male to "fertilize" the eggs.... The eggs need to have the sperm deposited before the egg jelly swells and fully hydrates. 

Ed


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## andry (Jun 15, 2010)

Ed, now that I read this again, I think I understand now. Plus, the male is always in the same hut when the female lays, so I assume he's fertilizing at the same time she's laying. I have some new eggs now from a second female I bought just this past weekend and I pulled right away because I saw my old female paying a visit to the eggs and though she'd probably eat them. I have 2.2 together now, I will see how it goes and then probably separate if I see aggression/egg eating.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Yes, the male has to fertilize the eggs before the jelly has completed swelling. There is some difference in the ability of sperm to penetrate the jelly between species but none of the ones in the literature are able to penetrate fully hydrated jelly.


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