# First Tarapoto Imitator egg



## johnc

I've got 2 pairs of Tarapoto imitators set up, one pair to a vertical 10g. The first of the pairs to actually "pair up" had been spending a lot of time over the past month in one particular brom axil. Yesterday I noticed they weren't there any more. I found this egg there this afternoon - obviously fertile and judging by the division, very fresh. Parents are in the first 3 photos in this post. These guys are UE line, bred by Gary1218. The male is spending most of this time elsewhere with the female in another part of the same brom. I wonder if they're splitting clutches?


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## johnc

I forgot to ask. Leave it in or take it out?


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## stemcellular

congrats man, i'd just leave it alone.

just wait, once they start they really get going... i just pulled 14 variabilis eggs (because there are already 10 in the tank).


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## gary1218

PRETTY COOL John!!!

Hope this is only the first of many


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## ErickG

Awesome! Great Macro shot. Congrats!


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## johnc

Same egg 2 weeks later (today):










And look what I found in another bromeliad axil at the same time (much easier to photograph this time, hence the better quality photos):










And 4 hours later:










This pair has got 3 clutches going right now - the single egg in the first photo, a second clutch that I can't see at the back of the same bromeliad, and now these 4 eggs in a second bromeliad. All the eggs that are visible are fertile, so fingers crossed for no SLS down the road.


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## Philsuma

Best egg pics evah!


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## stemcellular

awesome pics John!


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## spinycheek

Awesome pictures  The parents are absolutely stunning, good find.


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## Leidig

Congrats. Those are some really amazing shots and beautiful frogs. What camera setup are you using if you don't mind me asking.


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## johnc

24 hours after first photo of the 4 eggs, now starting to neurulate:










Leidig - Nikon D90 with macro lens.


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## Philsuma

Superb pics John,

First we get Mike Shrom back and now here you are, splitting time from the gummy lizards.

Hope to see you at a frog meet soon. There's the NY one, coming up in March.


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## Leidig

johnc said:


> Leidig - Nikon D90 with macro lens.


Once again, beautiful shots. Is the focal length 100mm?


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## johnc

No, 60 mm.


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## johnc

Taken today (48 hours after first photo of the 4 eggs). You can see the neural crest forming in the central embryo. That's mother in the background.










In the same brom, I found the tadpole from the first egg (photo in the first post of this thread). Strangely, this is not the brom where it was laid.


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## johnc

Just wondering, leave the tadpole in or take it out? I dropped a couple of New Life Spectrum pellets in both central brom pools.


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## jeeperrs

The pictures are amazing! Thanks for posting.


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## stemcellular

They will do all the work, just sit back and enjoy!


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## johnc

So it's been a few days since my last post in this thread. I've been photographing the 4 eggs each day though. I may have been a bit ahead of myself judging those last eggs to be neurulating. More likely they were still in mid gastrula.

Here's Day 5, probably late gastrula or early neurula:










Here's Day 6 (yesterday), definitely neurulating:










And here's today, Day 7, now in tail bud. Click any of the photos to blow them up (Dendroboard usually shrinks them slightly in messages):










Meanwhile, a leaf over, I watched the male talk the female into laying an infertile egg for the first tadpole (you can see that tadpole earlier in this thread). This photo was taken right as she was emerging from the pool (female left, male right). The red arrow indicates where the 4 eggs are in the same bromeliad.


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## markbudde

These pictures are amazing. Please keep them coming throughout egg development. 

What kind of bug got stuck to the eggs in the most recent picture?
-Mark


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## stemcellular

Looking good John!


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## johnc

Thanks everyone. I intend to see them through to the end (probably another 7 days or so).



markbudde said:


> What kind of bug got stuck to the eggs in the most recent picture?


I believe that's a hydei wing. I may give them a gentle blast from the mister to try and remove it but the brown particles elsewhere on the egg mass aren't budging, unfortunately. Hopefully the central embryo will remain unobscured.


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## johnc

Mark, I just saw your imitator tadpole time lapse video (here for anyone else interested). You've given me an idea!


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## jgibeau

I wouldn't try to remove the hydei wing. Just let it all alone - The chance of you rupturing the jelly mass, or moving the eggs is definitely not worth the unsightliness of a single wing...

And WOW are those some hot looking frogs!!

When you have young available, count me in - As in seriously, call me and tell me how much, and I will send it out in advance. Good job!

253 376 8206


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## johnc

Thanks John.

Here is today's photo (Day 8):


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## stemcellular

awesome, great shots!


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## johnc

Today's (Day 9):


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## markbudde

It's good to see them moving
-Mark


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## johnc

Today's image:


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## markbudde

Nice gills. You can also see the eyes forming.


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## frogparty

sweet pics!!!


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## Julio

great documentation John!!


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## johnc

Thanks again everyone. Here are yesterday and today:

Day 11 - Gills, eyes and melanophores (dark pigment cells) now quite apparent:










Day 12 - Gills, eyes and melanophores (dark pigment cells) well established, and the mouth is now clearly defined:


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## markbudde

That whole clutch looks pretty good. What are you supplementing with?
-Mark


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## johnc

Well, I hope they don't have SLS - there's only one tadpole (that I know of) ahead of these. There is a huge number of two kinds of tropical springs in the terrarium, and they eat these a lot. I feed the imitators hydei and melanogaster. I supplement with Repashy Supermin one day, Calcium plus ICB the next day, Herptivite the next day, and then Repcal Ultrafine Calcium with vitamin d3, then I start the cycle again - I'm starting to think that there's too much calcium in there. With all the springtails, the flies are usually running around the terrarium for days so I don't know how much of the supplements the frogs are actually consuming.


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## johnc

Today's:










In related news, the male had another bunch of eggs somewhere in the terrarium that hatched today and I discovered him with a tadpole on his back. Since I hadn't seen this before, I tried to photograph him. Unfortunately I was a bit too vigorous with my urging him into position and somewhere he managed to lose the tadpole. I couldn't find it but it obviously fell off in the litter somewhere. I feel very bad about it, so there's a lesson for other over eager photographers.


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## R1ch13

Great photos John, and fantastic documentation.

This is a great substitute for someone like me who is new to the hobby and has no breeding to witness myself first hand, as of yet.

That is a great shame about the dad dropping the tad, I would keep hopeful though.

I have read about tads growing unknowingly on over wet substrates before... pretty unbelievable I know...

There is a post a good while back where this happened, 

Good luck mate

Richie


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## johnc

Thanks Rich.

Here's today's photo (Day 14):


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## johnc

And today we find 3 have already been transported away, and one is still waiting for his lift:










Here's one of the other 3 tadpoles that have already been picked up, riding on father's back:


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## frogparty

I gotta say, these are just fantastic shots!!!


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## markbudde

Looks like you have a diligent father. Congrats. How about a full tank shot please


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## johnc

These are the two Tarapoto imitator tanks the night they were set up (November). The one on the right is the terrarium where all these photos were taken.


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## R1ch13

Real nice terrariums.

Its nice to see the environment that all this action has been taking place in.

As usual cracking shots, As Frogparty already said.

Easily one of the top photographers on here.

Always a joy to view pictures of this quality.

Great work.

Richie


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## PantMan

Amazing photo's. keep us posted John I'm subscribing to this post.


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## yumpster

That last photo of the tad being transported is possibly one of the top 5 shots I've ever seen.


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## johnc

High praise indeed - thank you .


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## stemcellular

That is one amazing transport shot, John. Well done Sir!


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## spinycheek

Those photos are incredible!!! Congratulations on the new tadpoles!


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## R1ch13

I think I may be addicted to this post.

I check it every day in the hope of some updates to satiate my need.

Haha, Gotta be one of my favourite all time posts on the board.

Richie


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## johnc

You know, honestly I hadn't got plans for updates any time soon, but now I'm afraid of letting Rich down, so I'll rustle something up tonight!


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## R1ch13

johnc said:


> You know, honestly I hadn't got plans for updates any time soon, but now I'm afraid of letting Rich down, so I'll rustle something up tonight!


Must have my fix....


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## PantMan

John you should submit the photo of the frog carrying the tad into the exoterra contest (there is a post on the photography forum). You can win up to 5K and that photo is killer. You'll make everyone on the board proud.

good luck


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## R1ch13

PantMan said:


> John you should submit the photo of the frog carrying the tad into the exoterra contest (there is a post on the photography forum). You can win up to 5K and that photo is killer. You'll make everyone on the board proud.
> 
> good luck


Good Idea mate.

John, He is right, I have seen those competitions on the Exoterra site, you would have a fantastic shot at winning one of them.

I'm sure you have even better photos tucked away somewhere, you should give it a go.

Richie


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## R1ch13

Exo Terra : Nactus Award : About the Nactus Award

Info on this years competition.

Exo Terra Nactus - previous years

Previous year's winners.


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## johnc

Wow guys, I am overwhelmed! Thanks for the pointers and the confidence boost . I'll definitely enter that competition. In all honesty I have a hard time assessing my own photos - I can usually tell if it's good or not, just not how good. For example, several people on the board and off, have told me that transport photo is awesome but I myself have a hard time "seeing it".

Anyhow, as promised, here are some new photos. The first is "my first tadpole" - now 20 days in his pool:









http://www.frogforum.net/members/jo...-my-first-tadpole-now-20-days-out-its-egg.jpg
In the axil below the central pool there is this fellow:










As you can tell, I had just given them some New Life Spectrum pellets.


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## R1ch13

Replied to the PM John.

The new picture with the spectrum pellet is now one of my new favourites and was one of my choices, although the pellet is a "foreign" item, it surprisingly matches the orange hue on the brom leaf just above the tad, so no one will know otherwise.

All the different complimentary colours just make a wonderfully pleasing image.

I'm glad the tads are doing well mate, getting big now eh?

Cheers mate

Richie


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## johnc

Now for a different approach. Here is the tadpole from the central bromeliad pool. I decided to remove him today because at 3 weeks old he is already smaller than the tadpoles that hatched a week ago, which I am raising without the parents. Here's a photo from above:










As you may know, amphibians possess a 3-chambered heart - 2 atria and a single ventricle (mammals and reptiles have a 4-chambered heart - 2 atria and 2 ventricles - while fish have a 2-chambered heart - a single atrium and a single ventricle). In the first image below you can see the blood pooled in the ventricle of the heart. In the second image you can see the result as it is pumped out of the heart. The photos are usually shown on dendroboard at a slightly smaller size than those I've uploaded, so click on an image to see more detail.


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## R1ch13

Nice, I'm liking this new approach John.

As I said about Rays M.Aurantiaca tadpole, If I didn't know any better this lil chap could be floating around in space.

Cracking pictures as always.

Richie


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## smilexelectric

Truly amazing photos, my did is a professional photographer and your pictures are so much better!


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## azure89

Nice pics and good luck, I just put my two tarapoto froglets (my first ones ever) in their morph out tank and I have one tad in the tank that just popped one of it's front legs today! and I found two more clutches of eggs in the tank today! Yay for tarapotos!


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## johnc

azure89 said:


> Nice pics and good luck, I just put my two tarapoto froglets (my first ones ever) in their morph out tank and I have one tad in the tank that just popped one of it's front legs today! and I found two more clutches of eggs in the tank today! Yay for tarapotos!


Snowed under, eh?


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## stemcellular

johnc said:


> Now for a different approach. Here is the tadpole from the central bromeliad pool. I decided to remove him today because at 3 weeks old he is already smaller than the tadpoles that hatched a week ago, which I am raising without the parents. Here's a photo from above:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you may know, amphibians possess a 3-chambered heart - 2 atria and a single ventricle (mammals and reptiles have a 4-chambered heart - 2 atria and 2 ventricles - while fish have a 2-chambered heart - a single atrium and a single ventricle). In the first image below you can see the blood pooled in the ventricle of the heart. In the second image you can see the result as it is pumped out of the heart. The photos are usually shown on dendroboard at a slightly smaller size than those I've uploaded, so click on an image to see more detail.


Every time you update the background on my work laptop changes...nicely done.


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## azure89

johnc said:


> Snowed under, eh?


Snowed under? what does that mean I'm not familiar with that term


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## johnc

More than you can handle .


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## azure89

Oh no quite the opposite I'm rather happy at the number of offspring I'm getting


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