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Posted by shoegazer on May 01, 2003 at 15:21:10:
In Reply to: Breeding Tiger Salamanders posted by mike_edwardes on May 01, 2003 at 09:55:13:
:The problem is that A.tigrinum breeds naturally in large aggregations at ancestral spawning ponds, in which an excess of males compete for females – this competitive behavior appears to be an essential trigger for spawning. So you're going to need a large group.
This is an interesting conclusion Mike, on what evidence do you base it? Competition for females has only proven to inhibit individual reproduction, not enhance it. Neotenic Ambystoma follow the same courtship procedures as morphed adults, except they are already in the water. In these cases, individual male/female pairs mate easily in captivity...there is no need for competition or large aggregates of adults to trigger courtship. Also, it is a recurrent pattern for all Ambystoma to have more males at the breeding pond than females yet other species like A. laterale, A. opacum, and A. macrodactylum breed just fine in captivity in small numbers. The idea that tigers need numbers and competition doesn't seem supported.
The next problem is that the males are quite territorial, so you're going to need a huge area to accommodate all the males you need to get the females in the mood – see the problem?
Since when are tiger males territorial? I've kept adults for years and never noticed any territoriality in males or females. I don't know of anybody who has, researcher or hobbyist.
Could be done in a huge outdoor enclosure (e.g. a garden) , but this is not likely to happen in a vivarium and there are no authenticated records of non-hormone induced true captive spawning. Shame.
I agree, and it's already been done that way, but that is essentially no different than me putting up a fence around the tiger breeding pond in my backyard and claiming responsibility for their actions. I think tigers certainly can be bred in a vivarium, but it's going to take a very large tank (100-200g+) with a deep, permanent pond (12+ inches) and some serious temp/humidity fluctuations. It will definitely help to start out with individuals raised from wild eggs as well. I don't think anyone has ever put forth that kind of effort yet with that combination.
