RAUK - Archived Forum - 25% albino spawn

Hello, in my pond which has had quite a bit of frogspawn (about 10 clumps i think-2 years ago I was lucky to get 1!), and one of them had about a quater of the eggs either being pure which or white with a slightly darker bit on top. I brought a bit of the clump indoors, and now all of them are developing. Could there be albinos? are they likely to survive as tadpoles?

thanks

AJfr0ggy

Several years ago I discovered albino spawn in my pond.

I contacted the lincolnshire wildlife trust, who informed me it is a common occurence.  The tadpoles don't generally survive with being so conspiqous to predators.

Normally if the eggs are white it means that they are infertile. i have seen a LOT of infertile spawn this year and i blame it on the hot days and then freezing nights!!! Think that the males and females get ready to spawn but when the temp drops either the male cant perform :( or the sperm may be killed by the cold??? Either way, there is a lot of dead spawn up here this year.

However, if it is albinos then that is interesting, i have never seen more than 2 or 3 albinos ever let along 25% of a spawn!

They are definatly not infertile, they are quickly developing!

I think there is actually less than 25% actually, when i counted a sample of them its about 10%, but still alot. most of the white ones are pure white, with a few which look half way!

The frogs in my area have done quite well, one bit a short walk from me has several areas with so much frog spawn it looks like a solid mass  or spawn that's 1.5mx0.5m!

I havent seen any infertile eggs

AJfr0ggy

Very interesting... any chance of some pics???

Another problem this year that i encountered was that the top layer of spawn was getting trapped in the ice and embryos were getting killed in this way... i made a big effort to put a lot of the spawn into deeper water so the ice couldnt get to it... it is taking ages to develop as its not getting the heat from the sun but at least it is developing

Ill have some photos on monday.

Im rearing he albinos separatly, in alarge storage tub  thing. theres over 60 eggs in total!

One problem that i have seen, is one area very near me has been very shallow for some reason, so many of the eggs cant eapand as theyre out of the water. Most of the frogs there moved to my pond though.

As ive had so much spawn in my pond, the forgs keep kicking it off the shallow shelf and it sinks to the bottom (not all of it is floating) Ive spent hours fishing out the spawn from the deep end, and now i put it all in my newer pond

AJfr0ggy

When I first discovered white eggs I thought they would be diseased.  I too removed them from the pond and distributed them within 5 to 20 gallon containers.  I'm afraid to say, work took me away from home for several months, I had asked a friend to keep an eye out on my pond and the suspected albinos.  On my return I found the containers to be quite nasty and the tadpoles had perished.

How big a container are you keeping them in?  Have you access to an old style dustbin @ 20 gallon?  Pop a pints worth of spawn in it, add pond weed and pond water, as much as possible, it will contain all the little micro organisms for the taddies to feed on.  Do add a small pump to circulate and aeriate the water.  The pump can also be used to dump some of the water now and then and do top up with pond water.  Don't take it straight from your tap, if that is unavoidable, let it stand for 48 hours in another container before you top up.  The young taddies require vegetable and algae feed food to start, once the legs develop I give a suplement of clean, small chicken bones and just a wee amount of dog meat, no too much mind, just a little on my finger tip.

I would not be too concerned regards the frogs 'kicking' spawn about, don't be concerned about that.  It is remarkebly resiliant stuff!  Spawn will naturally come to the surface and swell up when weather conditions allow.

Keep us informed on any progress.