Colopus and Ptenopus pics

[jpmarcel]

I haven't posted in quite awhile and thought I would share a few pictures for fun.

This beautiful colopus w wahlbergii hatched out just a few days ago!

Parent Colopus w walhbergii of the above hatchling.

Breeder pair of Colopus kochii. I have eggs from these that have been incubated for two years. Praying these hatch and will be worth the wait.

This juvenile Ptenopus carpi hatched out late 2011. This is my favorite species of Ptenopus and have reproduced well for me. The hatchlings can be difficult to rear but do very well when they get past the two month mark.

Enjoy!!

 

[Sporonicle]

You're so lucky! They are all awesome!

 

[David]

just ..wow

any inputs about the juvies carpi? difficult to start feeding?

 

[jpmarcel]

just ..wow

any inputs about the juvies carpi? difficult to start feeding?

Most hatchlings seem to stress easy and are intimidated by fast moving prey such as crickets. I had to painstakingly pluck the hind legs off pinhead crickets daily to slow them down. Not easy to do with out killing the tiny cricket! I also would cool the crickets but this would only slow them down temporarily.
Some hatchlings would accept fruitflies, small spiders and small waxworms. Small termites are by far their favorites and almost always accepted. I tried small roaches but never had any accept them.
After a couple months they aggressively pounce on crickets with no problems.

 

[Justin]

Beautiful, keep the pics coming! Any enclosure photos please?

 

[David]

yeah termites are the ultimate meal to stimulate all those picky geckos

thanks! fingers crossed for your kochii!

 

[thorrshamri]

Any pics of your kochi please?

 

[jpmarcel]

Beautiful, keep the pics coming! Any enclosure photos please?

Enclosures are more practical, not pretty so I'm not sure you'd want to see pics. They are large pull out tubs with of sand and 4 to 6 cm of sand and turned over terra-cotta dishes for hide spots.

 

[jpmarcel]

Any pics of your kochi please?

Did you mean more pics of colopus kochi? Or were you looking for pictures of Ptenopus kochi?

 

[Justin]

Have you found the C. kochii simple to keep?

 

[thorrshamri]

Did you mean more pics of colopus kochi? Or were you looking for pictures of Ptenopus kochi?

Sorry, Ptenopus kochi pics I keep this species too and offer them a varied diet, in France it is totally forbidden to keep termites but mine love small red runner roaches once crushed a bit, crickets without their hopping legs, silverfishes, silkworms, and a very occasional waxworm or wood worm. Adults are IMO not particularly difficult to keep, juveniles as jpmarcel said are more picky feeders and also more prone to stress. I would just love to see jpmarcel's pics to compare with my own specimens Shame you are in the US, we could have planned trades with carpi in the future.

 

[thorrshamri]

yeah termites are the ultimate meal to stimulate all those picky geckos

As I said keeping any species of termites in France is totally forbidden, even as food insects...unless there are exceptions I am unaware of?
If you are interested in my limited experience with this species, I am of course willing to share what I can

 

[jpmarcel]

I'm not keeping Ptenopus kochi so I can't compare captive care or breeding. I did take pics of a nice male caught out in the field a few years ago.

Ptenopus kochi

Sorry, Ptenopus kochi pics I keep this species too and offer them a varied diet, in France it is totally forbidden to keep termites but mine love small red runner roaches once crushed a bit, crickets without their hopping legs, silverfishes, silkworms, and a very occasional waxworm or wood worm. Adults are IMO not particularly difficult to keep, juveniles as jpmarcel said are more picky feeders and also more prone to stress. I would just love to see jpmarcel's pics to compare with my own specimens Shame you are in the US, we could have planned trades with carpi in the future.

 

[thorrshamri]

Wonderful pics, thanks! Can you remember the exact location where they were taken?

 

[jpmarcel]

Wonderful pics, thanks! Can you remember the exact location where they were taken?

The picture of the Ptenopus kochi was taken in Homeb, Namibia next to the Kuiseb river. I see the exact spot he was caught on Google Earth!

Sharing the same area as the Ptenopus kochi was a locale of Pachydactylus rangei that were larger than other locations I had seen. They also had more outstanding pink/purple colors. Here's a pic of one on a $5 dollar bill for size comparison.

This is a sunset at Homeb. The photo barely does justice to real thing.

 

[thorrshamri]

Wonderful! Thanks a lot
It's not the first time I hear about kochi liking to establish their colonies near riverbeds...of course it should have consequences in terms of humidity for proper captive care...I actually spray mine twice a week, but the substrate remains dry; how about your carpi?

 

[jpmarcel]

Wonderful! Thanks a lot
It's not the first time I hear about kochi liking to establish their colonies near riverbeds...of course it should have consequences in terms of humidity for proper captive care...I actually spray mine twice a week, but the substrate remains dry; how about your carpi?

The burrows of the Ptenopus kochi certainly were not moist or damp and the Kuiseb river was runs dry for much of the year. Also they were not found on the banks of the river but a couple 100 meters away.

I spray Ptenopus carpi a couple times a week as well, which they certainly appreciate and will lick the moisture off the sides of the terrarium. I will moisten the substrate slightly and it drys by the next day. I have also seen them drinking from small water dish.