Due to increased social and work demands I'm afraid I have been rather slack on the news from
Grant Towers lately.
I realize it may be better to get some of my videos onto the world wide web, rather than risk them being lost for prosperity if my home computer crashes from looking at dodgy sites!
A few clips of Grant Towers and ZSL animals.
Possibly chytrid infection on mossy frogs.
Pipa pipa, the Suriname toad.
Possibly chytrid infection on mossy frogs.
This clip shows my Theloderma corticale with what I believe to have been a chytrid infection (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis also known as Bd). The frogs had been more active during the day, including one seen sitting in the water when they are normally sleeping higher up.
They also seemed to have more problems walking on the glass, as though their feet wouldn't stick as well.
Some of the frogs in the clip seems to have a thickening of the skin and a wet appearance, which I have taken to mean the possible infection.
I treated with the athletes foot treatment "Lamisil" and within 3 days noted a marked improvement., after 5 days all "symptoms" were gone. I continued the treatment for a further 5 days.
However, as I didn't swab the frogs I can't be sure the infection was Bd.
I would like to thank Christopher Micheals for his very quick and helpful advice.
Pipa pipa, the Suriname toad.
Australian swamp eel
Ophisternon gutturale
Ophisternon gutturale
A new addition to a tank I've started for Anableps anableps, amazing tunnelers, they act a bit like a brackish garden eel!
Not aggressive and feeding on Tetra discus, live Tubifex and frozen bloodworm.
Mainly uploaded because there's not much on them here. They seem easy to keep, slightly brackish, hence the Anableps.
The main interest is about 40 seconds in and near the end, about 2 minutes in.
This doesn't show their amazing burrowing ability, they dig in and seem to be able to go forwards or reverse with equal ease!
Kew Gardens
The Princess of Wales Conservatory
Zone 8
Carnivorous plants.
Mainly Nepenthes and a few ferns and amazing Selaginella, this is a lovely addition to the Kew glass houses.
Lithobates catesbeianus
Albino American bullfrog
Not to everybodies taste, but I really like these frogs.
Very nervous and skittish when young, bold during the day but flighty when the lights are off.
They will eat pretty much anything they can overpower but seem to do OK with feeder insects (not the live mammalian prey other people post them feeding on, small penis syndrome perhaps?)
I use an Arcadia T5 12% with a reading of around 1- 1.5 UVI above half the tank, hopefully this will stop any developmental issues but is low enough to not cause eye problems.
And isnt it funny how everybody loves red eyed tree frogs, but not red eyed bullfrogs....
