The dwarf Surinam toad (Pipa parva) from Venezuela is a real rarity in the aquarium. We have a breeder who can occasionally offer us some of them. At first sight the nice animals remind us of dwarf clawed frogs (Hymenochirus), but you can always tell them apart from them by the branched fingertips – typical for all Pipa species.

The eggs of all Surinam toads develop, after they have been laid and fertilized, in the back skin of the female, which completely grows over the eggs. In the case of the Great Surinam toad (Pipa pipa and closely related species), fully developed young frogs hatch from the back skin, while in the case of the dwarf Surinam toad it is tadpoles that break through the mother’s back skin and begin an independent life. The tadpoles have a broad mouth and feed on plankton animals (freshly hatched Artemia nauplii in the aquarium).

One should maintain and breed Pipa parva with water-temperatures between 26 and 28°C. The dwarf Surinam toad is easy to feed with all kinds of frozen food for ornamental fish, many specimens also get used to granulated food. Very important is the complete covering of the aquarium, otherwise the Surinam toads go sooner or later on wanderings, which usually ends fatally in an apartment.

For our customers: the animals have code 485964 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

The
fire bellied newts of the genus Cynops are perfect aquarium newts. Most
specimens can be easily adapted for a life in water the whole year
through. This makes feeding a lot easier, because on land newts are very
secretive and feed only on live food, while in the water they also
readily accept frozen food.

We received recently a
shipment of fire bellied newts that were selected from “regular” Cynops
orientalis. According to our supplier the newts have been collected in
the Chinese province Hubei. Some of the newts look like Cynops cyanurus,
others are more similar or intermediate to C. orientalis. It seems also
possible that the animals belong to C. orphicus or an undescribed
species.

For our customers: these newts have code 483188 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Hymenochirus boettgeri Gold-Albino

The
most popular of all underwater frogs is the Dwarf Clawed Frog
Hymenochirus boettgeri. It is bred as an ornamental animal for years
already. So it was only a matter time when albinos would appear in the
market: and here they are! Really nice animals, aren´t they?

For our customers: the frogs have code 141832 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

The Dwarf Suriname Toad from Venezuela is a real rarity in aquaria. We have a new breeder that is able to offer us some specimens every now and then. At the first glimpse they nice animals remind one on Dwarf Clawed Frogs (Hymenochirus). However, like all other Pipa species, P. parva has ramifications on the top of each finger, which always allow a correct identification.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

The
Dwarf Suriname Toad from Venezuela is a real rarity in aquaria. We have
a breeder that is able to offer us some specimens every now and then.
At the first glimpse they nice animals remind one on Dwarf Clawed Frogs
(Hymenochirus). However, like all other Pipa species, P. parva has
ramifications on the top of each finger, which always allow a correct
identification.

For our customers: the
animals have code 485964 on our stocklist. Please note that we
exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers
only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Springtime is the time for amphibians. In Germany toads, frogs, and newts leave their winter lairs and turn back to the ponds where they have been born to spawn. The very same happens in other parts of the world that have a similar climate. So we now get newts from China sometimes.

Paramesotriton chinensis is a very warty, but attractive newt that becomes about 12-15 cm long. Similar to the better known species of Pleurodeles and Cynops, Paramesotriton chinensis prefers to live in the water the whole year through. Only when the temperature becomes to high they leave the water and hide on land. So the regular temperature should not become higher than 18-20°C. Against conspecifics this species of newt is peaceful. Their tank should imitate a brook in a wood. The water must be always very clean and clear and should have a good current. However, one must take care that the somewhat clumsy newts cannot be sucked and hurt by the filter. The aqua-terrarium for newts always has to be perfectly covered, because newts can walk even on vertical glasses!

For our customers: the animals have code 485933 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

The Paddletail Newts of the genus Pachytriton are available only a few weeks per year. Currently we obtained a shipment of very attractive specimens. Systematics of this genus are very confusing, so we are not able to determine them exactly. On our stocklist the newts are named Pachytriton cf. labiatus.

Pachytriton should be kept in clean water, some current is very good for the animals. No heater is needed, water temperature for regular keeping should be around 20°C, during the hibernation 10°C. Temporary increase of the water temperature up to 26°C does not harm the animals at all. These news are territorial, so the tank should be quite spacy. Similar as in cichlids Pachytriton give up the territorial behaviour when the population density is very high.

They feed on any type of frozen and live food that fits the mouth. These newts never leave the water as long as they feel well, they are completely aquatic.

For our customers: the animals have code 485903 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

By chance we had the opportunity to get wonderful, large (6-8 cm) Xenopus laevis from a German breeder. Available only in limited numbers! For our customers: the animals have code 192505 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Most people interested in natural history know two orders within the class Amphibia, namely the Anura (frogs, toads etc.) and the Caudata (news, salamanders etc.). Much less people know that there is a third order, the Gymnophiona (caecilians), although this order has more than 180 species. However, most of them are nocturnal and live burrowed in the ground, so one hardly ever comes in touch with them. If it happens, the caecilians are often taken wrongly as gigantic earthworms.

Some genera of the Gymnophiona live exlusively in freshwater. One of them, Typhlonectes natans from Colombia, has even managed to become a quite popular aquarium inhabitant, usually sold as “blind eel”.

From a biologist´s point of view the caecilians are very interesting creatures. The land living, egglaying species take brood care, and the water living, livebearing species develope a kind of umbilical cord, by which the unborn are fed by the mother. There are males and females in caecilians, the males have a kind of penis which is used for the internal fertalization.

In contrast to Typhlonectes natans, which is uniform black, Potamotyphlos kaupii has a quite attractive colour pattern. Our specimens originate from Peru. So far we were able to import only a few specimens. They proofed to be much more sensitive than their black cousin from Colombia. Especially they were quite sensitive for fungus infection of the skin. However, once they are settled they are as easy to keep as T. natans. The eyeless animals orientate by the scent and so they find their prey (in the aquarium mainly frozen food like bloodworm). It is very important to cover the tank absolutely tight.

For our customers: the animals have code 281724 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Potamotyphlus: from ancient Greek, “potamon” meaning “river” and “typhlos” meaning “blind”, eg “blind river dweller”. kaupii: dedication name. Typhlnectes: ancient Greek, “typhlos” meaning “blind”, “nectes” meaning “swimmer”, eg “blind swimmer”. natans: Latin, meaning “swimming, drifting”.

Suggestion of a common name: Kaup´s caecilian, zebra caecilian

Text & photo: Frank Schäfer

Clawed frogs or platannas (Xenopus) are popular aquarium inhabitants. They are totally aquatic animals and leave the water only for curiosity or when the water body dries out. Nevertheless the tank has to be absolutely safely covered, for a trip in the dry living room can cause the death of the animal.

Most often Xenopus laevis is offered. This is the largest species of the genus and can reach the size of a man´s hand. Frogs of that size are able to eat pretty big fish. However, there are also smaller species. One of them is Xenopus muelleri. This species becomes 7-8 cm long (males stay about 20% smaller) and has a nice, spotted pattern.

X. muelleri has an enormous range in tropical and subtropical Africa. Our specimens, however, are European bred. Like in all species of Xenopus the tadpoles are filtrating and look rather like small catfishes than like the tadpoles of our native frogs.

For our customers: X. muelleri has code 192903 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Xenopus: from ancient Greek, means “with a strange foot”, referring to the three sharp clawes on the hind foot. laevis: Latin, means “smooth, shining”. muelleri: dedication name.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

PS: Colin Dunlop from Scotland told us it might be possible that our frog belongs to a subspecies of X. laevis rather than to X. muelleri due to the fact that in X. muelleri even in younger specimens the tentacles below the eye should be much longer than in our specimens. We thank Colin for this and will stay on the ball.

(13.Dec.2007) One of the most beautiful representative of the genus Tylototriton is available: T.shanjing. These beauties comes not on a regular base. Their habitat is the middle and western part of the chinese province Yunnan, Laos & Myanmar. They live in subtropical forests in an altitude of around 2000meters. The females lay up to 300 eggs in ponds or slow running rivers. They should be kept in a terrarium with forest soil, moos, leafs and a “bathing area”. Be careful about the temperatures: they should kept in a range of 15-20°C, during the night temperatures can drop. The max. size is around 17cm, but sexing them is only possible for specialized hobbyists. In general it is a very interesting item, which is not recommended to inexperienced people.

(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)

(30.Nov.2007) From now available on a regular base : Occidozyga lima, the floating frog. These funny guys come from Indonesia. They are easy to keep and should be kept in small groups of at least 10 pieces. They only grow up to 3-4cm and show no sexual dimorphism. They eat all kind of small flies like Drosophila, but also frozen food will be accepted. After a while you can also feed them with a pincer, if you try patiently. Most of the time they are floating on the surface of the water, but you should give them the possibility to leave the water with some “swimming isles”. The only thing you should care for is there “jump ability”, so the tanke must be closed correctly.

(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)

Just yesterday we recieved a very small number of Pachytriton cf. labiatum!

This species is only a short time each year available. The common name is “Giant Rock Salamander” and they are available in the size of about 12cm. This item lives mainly under water. Their habitat are mountian streams with a temperature of about 17-18°C. About their natural food nearly nothing is acknowledged, but we feed them easily with different kind of  dryfood in our tanks. Assure a very good filtration in their tanks!

June 2006: Freshly arrived and very beautiful. From South America reached us few Mata matas. Their in jungle waters protruding camouflage lets it appear remarkable and bizarr in the aquarium.(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

In its eastern chinese habitat the Chinese Fire Belly Newt Cynops orientalis inhabits small standing to slowly flowing overgrown waters. Females can get up to 10 cm long, the males remains with approximately 8 cm somewhat smaller. They can be kept predominantly aquatic, but a small land part with hiding places and climbing possibilities is appreciated. They do not like longer periods with high temperaturse above 25°C, when kept in-house no heating is necessary. Living food like worms, water insects and their larvae are prefered. When kept together with small fishes caution is required, since these are gladly eaten. For breeding attempts the animals should be kept at lower temperatures for some weeks. They spawn on leafs of aquatic plants, the development of the larvae is temperature-dependent and with 3 – 4 weeks quite short.

(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)