Before I present this issue, let me explain why we have Temporalis and Brevs in the same tank. We purchased some Bearded Pygmy chams from a breeder/importer last year. We requested 1 male and 3 females, since the seller said they could tell the difference. It was our first experience with pygmy chams. Anyway, what arrived was 2 brevs and 2 temporalis. I called the seller and explained what arrived, and the seller offered to send more brevs, and also told me that we could keep Temporalis and Brevicaudatus in the same tank. Especially since we had a large 55 gal tank. It is 48" long x 16" deep x 17 1/2" tall. And that they could not mix breed (which is probably technically correct, since they probably cannot produce offspring).

Needless to say, we will be separating them, and are keeping an eye on them in the meantime. We understand that this encounter was unnatural and undersirable. We offer this video as proof that such things happen.

When I was misting the tank yesterday I interrupted a Temporalis male coupling with (what we believe to be) an already gravid Brev female. They were perched on a vine. The female was not fighting him off. They were just sitting there. Until I came along. I got the camera and pulled aside some foliage for a better view. It was only then that the female began to pull away from the male. I thought at first the male was probably just sitting on the female, hoping to mate, and that she was just tolerating this. But, it appeared there may have been some penetration.

The pair began on the vine, then moved sideways to be supported by a branch and the cork-back of the tank. They then moved onto the flimsy branch, which lowered them to the floor of the tank, on a "log". They tumbled off that and finally separated. The video begins with them already on the log on the floor of the tank and ends when she finally shakes him off.

The original video is 1 min 54 sec. I speeded it up to 45 sec.

Here are some still photos first (sorry they're blurry). In the 4th photo you can see the little guys privates hanging out, before he drew them back in. Video is below the photos:










VIDEO, SPEEDED UP FROM 1:54 TO :45 SEC

http://s285.photobucket.com/albums/l...brevmating.flv

Well who knows???
tempocaudatis?
Probably nothing will result from this ...
interesting tho ...

-Brad

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