Breeding news

January 2012

Since December 2011 has began active reproductive season of different species of Boidae. During last two months we saw many copulations of Boa constrictor from Hogg island, other Boa constrictor, many couples of Python regius Pastel and normal bright, Morelia cheynei and other species. Also we continue to breed Uroplatus sikorae, Uroplatus phantasticus and others.

Summary of 2011

BREEDING OF RARE AND VALUABLE SPECIES IN BION TERRARIUM CENTER in 2011

- Abronia taeniata, Mexico  – 26 babies – bred for the first time in Ukraine and Russia! This arboreal species belong to Anguidae Family. Their pattern and colour varies a lot. In April we got offspring from 3 females (9, 6 and 11 babies respectively).  It is interesting that each female gave birth to cubs during 3-4 days (1-3 babies every day). Mating season begins in August and continues till November. All lizards including gravid females were in winter diapause. From December to January we kept them in little boxes with  +14-17C and not high humidity. After diapause females began to eat very actively and gained weight. They stopped taking food for 25-35 days before delivery.  
- Petrosaurus thalassinus, narrow areal species from Baja California  – 5 babies, bred for the first time in Ukraine and Russia! We are keeping the only couple which has grown up in BION. This pair of lizards reach sexual maturity in the autumn of 2010. To stimulate breeding they were placed in hibernation for two months at 18C. Cage for their keeping was large (120x60x60cm). Day temperature was +26-32C, in the hot spot +45C, at night + 20-22C. Their diet includes various insects (crickets, cockroaches, larvae of Zoophobas and Tenebrio). Green plants (salad, dandelion) were supplied in small amounts only for adult specimens. In March we noticed their first mating and the copulation occurred in the early spring. On 29th of April, the female brought 6 eggs (one crumpled). Incubation temperature was 28,5-30C. Incubation continued 61-62 days. During this period the eggs doubled their size. Young Petrosaurus feed and grow actively .
- Oedura castelnaui, North Australia – 9 young of two morphs – normal and albino  –  bred in BION since 2008 (first time in Ukraine and Russia),
- Egernia stokesii ssp.,  – 2 young – bred in BION since 2008 (first time in Ukraine and Russia),
- Uroplatus henkeli,  – 4 young  lizards,
- Uroplatus phantasticus, – 16 young specimens and 136 eggs,
- Uroplatus sikorae,  – 8 young and 6 eggs,
- Uroplatus pietschmanni,   -  44 eggs,
- Paroedura masobe,    -   12 babies and 20 eggs,
- Furcifer pardalis,  – 254 young and 567 eggs,
- Shinisaurus crocodylurus,  – 3 young, bred in BION since 2009,
- Morelia spilota cheynei,  – 20 young snakes,
- Oreocryptophis porphyraceus pulchra, Yunnan, China  – 5 young specimens, bred for the first time in Ukraine and Russia. Only in the beginning of January we got one adult couple of this species. They were in hibernation at the temperature +10-14C for two months. Shortly after returning to normal regimen (+23-28C at day and +18-22C at night), the snakes began to feed actively on young mice.  Periodically, the female sits to the male’s box. Copulation occurred on April 10.  Then the female ate voraciously during two weeks. It put 5 eggs on 28 May, 7 days later after last shedding.  Egg size is  43-48 mm (length) x17-20 mm (diameter). Incubator temperature fluctuated from 25 to 29C. Snakes hatched after 57-58 days of incubation. They have length of body 250-265 mm, of tail – 45-50 mm and weight – 8,65-10,08grams.  4 of 5 babies began to eat newborn mice before first shedding at the second-third day after hatching. Sex ratio of this offspring is 2 males and 3 females.
- Euprepiophis mandarinus, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam – 6 young snakes, the incubation continued for 71 days at the temperature +24-27C. It is typical for specimens from North Vietnam.
- Elaphe dione   -   Baikal sea- Mongolai   -   6 babies with white halo around spots
- Elaphe dione   -  “tenebrosa”  from Altai area (Ust-Kamenogorsk – Barnaul)  -   12 babies, among them 8 specimens patternless, 2 sp. of “tiger” variation and two(male and female) of new pattern type –“vipera” with a zigzag line along the middle of the back.
- Elaphe dione   -   Mozdok, North Ossetia, black   -   4 babies
- Elaphe dione   -   Far East of Russia   -   10 babies
- Elaphe dione   -   yellow-striped  (clean line)   -   6 babies
- Elaphe dione   -   heterozygotes of albino T+  -   6 babies
- Elaphe dione   -   heterozygotes of amelanistic -   2 babies
- Elaphe dione   -   heterozygotes of albino T+, T- and amel    -   8 babies
- Theloderma bicolor, very narrow-ranged species from Sa Pa, N.Vietnam – 25 young frogs and 12 tadpoles,
- Theloderma corticale  from Tam Dao, North Vietnam  – 15 young frogs.

ARСHIVE 2011

By the middle of October we have observed:

The mating and copulation of Abronia graminea. It lasted about 15 hours direct on the branches. The male gripped the female very strongly, but no damage! We are waiting offspring  in the Spring 2012 - it will be the first in former Soviet Union;

Multiple autumn copulation of  Elaphe dione;

New hatchlings of Euprepiophis mandarinus

New hatchlings of Uroplatus phantasticus, new cluthes from several  females!

Breeding season started for Abronia taeniata

In September in BION breeding season started for Abronia taeniata. During the last 2 months these lizards were held separately. Firstly we put male and female together on 12.09.2011 and two copulations are happened immediately! There was one more copulation on 13.09.2011. We firstly documented the duration of coupling. According to our data it is 12-17 hours for Abronia taeniata. The male holds the female’s head by his jaws. Mating usually begins in 10-15 minutes after placing the female to male. After 30-40 minutes copulation is.                

DIFFERENT MORPH OF Elaphe dione and THE CLUTH OF Euprepiophis mandarinus FROM SA PA, N.-W.VIETNAM

During July on BION there have been many events associated with the breeding of reptile.

From eggs (9 clutches) were hatching more than 50 babies of different morphs of Elaphe dione and 28th July we received very good clutch of 6 eggs from female of Euprepiophis mandarinus from Sa Pa, N.-W.Vietnam!

Dione-offspring from striped female and tenebrosa tiger male

Dione-offspring from striped female and tenebrosa tiger male

Dione-offspring in first shedding

Hatching of dione black from N.Ossetija

Clutch of eggs from E.mandarinus from Sa Pa, N.Vietnam

FIRST IN UKRAINE & RUSSIA

Really first in Ukraine & Russia captive breeding of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus pulchra (five  babies) and happy breeder with clutch

 New variation of Elaphe dione from Sergey Ryabov – Elaphe dione “vipera”

LONG-AWAITED REPLENISHMENT

Newborn  babies of Petrosaurus thalassinus are finally pleased  us and their parents...

We received  5 babies from 5 eggs (100% survival).

RECENT BREEDING SUCCESS

In 2011, in BION Terrarium Center efforts on breeding of different species of reptiles and amphibians were intensified.

There are good clutches of eggs from many females of  Furcifer pardalis, two large incubators are already filled, and their breeding season continues.

We hatched charming babies of Uroplatus henkeli, Oedura castelnaui (normal and albino), Rhacodactylus ciliatus (fire, red and others), Pogona vitticeps (red line), amazing babies of Egernia stokesii were born and more babies are still expected, there is a delayed egg-laying from Petrosaurus thalassinus, Uroplatus fantasticus, there are signs of gravidity of Shinisaurus crocodylurus females.

Clutches of eggs from Oreocryptophis porphyraceus pulchra (from Yunnan province of China), from Coelognathus radiatus (from Vietnam), from pairs of different color morphs of Elaphe dione were received. Many different E. dione already hatched. Also, babies of Morelia cheynei hatched. Births of Viridovipera steinegeri are expected soon, matings were in February.  We hope to receive good offspring from several morphs of Boa constrictor.

Breeding of amphibians was initiated. In March, first eggs of a narrow-ranged species of moss frogs Theloderma bicolor were received, and in June the first 10 metamorphes came out from the water! Now about 70 tadpoles are floating, and adult couples continue to actively suspend the eggs on pieces of cork above the water. First clutches from Theloderma asperum were also obtained.

Hatchlings of Morelia spilota cheynei just now...

Eggs and cute babies of RED line Pogona vitticeps

Happy mother and father of Petrosaurus thalassinus and their future offspring

Red male of  Shinisaurus crocodylurus  and gravid female (from Vietnam)

Eggs and hatchlings of Oedura castelnaui, juvenile of Oedura castelnaui albino

Nice babies of Rhacodactylus ciliatus (FIRE line), Egernia stokesii, Uroplatus henkeli 

Clutch of eggs of black Elaphe dione from North Caucasus(Mozdok) and newborns

Cluths of eggs of Coelognathus radiatus from Vietnam  and Oreocryptophis porphyraceus pulchra from Yunnan province of China

In the end of May we received clutches from several females of Elaphe dione at the same time:

Clutch of eggs from female from Baikal see. This variation is rare in captivity! With white oreols!

Clutch of eggs from heterozygote wild caught female from Beijing area. Among its offspring were albino T+ and amelanictic babies!

Clutch of eggs from yellow-striped female. Among its offspring can be very unusual morphs.

Clutch of eggs of bright-yellow female from Korea.

Today,  May 6, for the first time in our breeding center we have received the clutch in 9 eggs of  T+ ALBINO Elaphe dione.

During 3-4  weeks we are waiting for an  unique offspring...

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