# Varadero metamorphosing



## johnc

I got *my pair of Varadero* from Understory in early April. This is a photo log of their first tadpole reaching metamorphosis. They took a while to get going but now they're laying 2-3 clutches every 2 weeks. All of these photos blow up bigger when you click on them.

This was taken a few weeks ago in the tad's film canister:










July 7th:










July 9th:










July 10th:










July 12th:










And here are two clutches (2 eggs left, 1 egg right) laid in the leaf litter:


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## stemcellular

Looking good and great photos, John.


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## AaronAcker

Great photos! I can not wait tell I get a pair of these guys!


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## johnc

These 3 were taken just now, 24 hours after the last one:


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## james67

great pics!

james


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## GRIMM

FANTASTIC PICTURES! Its so awesome to see the progress these little guys make day-to-day. I cant wait till I get my 1st small group of Varaderos.


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## pinkjello

Love the day by day pictures! For those of us who have never seen this, its amazing ..thx for posting


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## Julio

great shots, amazing how much pigmentation it got from 7-9th.


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## johnc

Julio said:


> great shots, amazing how much pigmentation it got from 7-9th.


Thanks Julio and everyone. If you think the pigmentation from 7-9th was good, you should see him today - tail is greatly reduced and he's very metallic. I just looked at the third tadpole in line to metamorphose and he looks mom - very little black .


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## R1ch13

Real nice pictures John, but that's expected 

As Julio says, its crazy the change in colour from 7-9th.

Cant wait to see some more updated shots when you have them.

Keep us posted,

Richie


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## D3monic

Was that cyclopeeze in his cup? Looks very nice!


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## johnc

D3monic said:


> Was that cyclopeeze in his cup? Looks very nice!


No, the only proprietary foods I give them are Tadpole bites and New Line Spectrum.


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## Julio

i feed Cyclops to my tads as well as blood worms, they go crazy for the frozen protein


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## frogface

So beautiful. Made me cry.


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## johnc

Made you cry?  

Here he is 2 days later, taken about an hour ago:










And here is the second tadpole in line to metamorphose:










And here is the third tadpole in line to metamorphose:










There's a big gap between these and the next ones due to my big move - the next ones just hatched yesterday and I saw father jumping around the terrarium with a tadpole on his back yesterday.


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## Eric Walker

looks like these guys should be more available in the near future.

awsome job


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## xshortstufx

WOW!!! The color on those guys is just amazing.


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## deansie26

Fantastic pics John, hope I get to that stage-keep the pics coming #

I guess your rearing yourself? what temp do you maintain and do you do water changes?


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## johnc

deansie26 said:


> Fantastic pics John, hope I get to that stage-keep the pics coming #
> 
> I guess your rearing yourself? what temp do you maintain and do you do water changes?


Thanks! The oldest started hunting for food the day before yesterday. Still sleeps in his film canister though. The other two are currently rebsorbing their tails.

I have kept these in film canisters in the parents' terrarium but I've been feeding them. I've a fair amount of experience raising imitator like this and it's been very successful. I put the canisters near the door of the terrarium and angle them so I can see in. The adults figure out after a few months what is going on, and start putting new tadpoles in the cans themselves, and often start feeding the tadpoles I've placed in the film canisters. I feed each tadpole a single tadpole bite or a couple of the small New Life Spectrum pellets very 2-3 days. I leave a piece of java moss in each film canister and a small piece of leaf litter too. I find with white film canisters they develop a healthy amount of green algae, which is a good supplement for the tadpoles. Using distilled water from my sprayer, I wash water out of the film canisters as it becomes particularly murky.


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## johnc

These are for Julio and his full tank shot habit. 

Here are two stills shot remotely from a web cam this evening. The first photo shows the male calling (he's trying to get the female out of the lower bromeliad so she can follow him to feed other tadpoles). You can also see a froglet (one of the later tadpoles in the previous shots in this thread). The second shot shows the female following the male to the upper bromeliad to feed some tadpoles.

*(Click a photo to enlarge it)*


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## johnc

Just realized you can see the shadow of another froglet in the white film canister on the right, and the light spot in the lower left by a black film canister may be another froglet.


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## Julio

hahhaha, good deal, just post them before i bring it up.


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## johnc

Here's the first tadpole, now the first froglet, 9 days after his last photo:


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## AaronAcker

Stunning! WOW I cant wait tell mine come in Tuesday


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## frogface

That is a gorgeous frog!


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## jpodnar

That is a gorgeous Frog, the colors are so pretty


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## D3monic

Very nice coloration...mine is still kind of faded. I started feeding my springs superpig hoping to gutload them.


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## johnc

I think it varies from froglet to froglet as to how long it takes them to properly color up. This one was rather quick. One of the next two along is slightly faded right now.


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## R1ch13

Kind of lost for words...

Just wow!

Congratz John.

Regards,

Richie


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## Arizona Tropicals

Great color ... spectacular!


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## johnc

Now 8 weeks out of the water:


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## Julio

very cool!


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## cheezus_2007

dang... those are great pics.... def. caught the color on them... wowzers


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## johnc

Thanks guys. This one is probably the most intensely orange of the 3 that metamorphosed in July, and most area of orange too I think. Here are the 2 others from July:



















Here's the Varadero assembly line as of last week:


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## Ulisesfrb

Awesome pictures. Great work. These are definitely on my wish list.


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## Adamrl018

WOW!!! I want a pair!!!


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## D3monic

Very nice John! Thats a buttload of tads. I think I only have about 9 I am caring for. 3 ready for a new home and two in morph out. Not sure how many are in the Viv. Yours have alot more orange than mine have. Mine tend to run more blue and black with just alittle orange face.


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## johnc

Hi Mike,

I lucked out with my female - she's got the most orange on a Varadero that I've ever seen, bar the high orange individual on Understory's site. It's giving relatively high orange offspring, and I've noticed that many of them have a virtually unmarked face.

I really like this race of imitator - they metamorphose much faster than the Tarapotos and Intermedius and my pair have been very prolific. All of this means that the exorbitant prices we saw just a few months ago on this kind of imitator are likely to plummet - I'm happy to play my part .


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## bobzarry

Put me on the list for when your ready to sell


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## Woodsman

Great photos as usual, John! 

I have two out of the water now, but my 2.1 group has not been breeding lately. Both of the males call and the female seems interested, but I am wondering if I should take out the spare male to encourage the remaining pair. I wonder how everyone is keeping these guys and what the breeding success has been.

Take care, Richard.


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## johnc

Thanks Richard. I'm a firm believer that monogamous frogs are meant to be kept in pairs only. Pairs of 3 different races of imitator have yet to prove me wrong.


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## Woodsman

Thanks, John. I'll pull the spare wheel tomorrow.

Richard.


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## nburns

Really great thread, thanks for sharing with us. Glad to see that you're having such great success too. These really are stunning imitators.


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## bgmike64

I agree, great thread! You take great photos. Question; how many weeks from tad to fully absorbed tail? I have a few tads I'm raising outside of the viv and was curious.


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## JimO

I want some...

If you aren't in advertising, you should be with the incredible photos you take. Wow!


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## AaronAcker

Hey John, had a favor.

I'm having a hard time sexing the pair I have, and since your photos are amazing, and I just gave away my camera, I was wondering if you could post pics of your adults so that I could compare male/female body shapes to the pair I have. ? And again, amazing photos.


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## johnc

Aaron, there are photos of the adults in this album: 

Frog Forum - John's Album: Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero" / "Jeberos" - formerly Dendrobates imitator


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## Leidig

Great thread. Varaderos are one of my favorites of all darts and you've captured their beauty perfectly with your photos.


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## fleshfrombone

Man these have to be the nicest specimens of this locale morph I've ever seen.


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## botanyboy03

Beautiful froglets. I want some so bad, but I don't think I am ready for them just yet. Give me 6 months to a year, and then I think I will be.....unless something changes and I just HAVE to have them.


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## Chris155hp

Im going to wait till next year but i think im going to pick some up from you when i have the cash =)


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## johnc

I admire your patience!


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## Chris155hp

johnc said:


> I admire your patience!


Im ready for them now


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