German veterinarian and scientist Thomas Hildebrandt, who is a leading expert on animal ultrasound yesterday helped determine the sex of SMIC, one out of three adults Giant salamanders coming from Schmiding, where breeders were not yet sure of the sex. It turned out to be a male. "We also asked him to help us reveal the sex of the two largest pups that arrived to the zoo in 2013, Andy and Boleslaw Jablonski," explains curator of reptiles and amphibians Zoo Praha Petr Velenský.
Breeders and waited several big surprises. It turned out that while Andy is basically already an adult male and female Boleslav Jablonsky is. "That is our message really unexpected. Until now, we thought that the fastest growing velemloci are males. Boleslav Jablonsky after Andy was the second fastest growing Giant salamanders, yet today's ultrasound revealed that it is a female, "says Petr Velenský. But he welcomed the report. Ultrasound is also revealed that the six-year Andy is already capable of reproduction and Boleslav Jablonsky could arrive sometime next year. Zoo would let these rare creatures, named in honor of Karel Capek's novel War with the Newts, they try to reproduce the following year. "We have previously thought that the reproduction may occur in roughly ten years, when our young, that we made will be grown. This is really a huge surprise, "says Petr Velenský enthusiastically.
"Watching Thomas Hildebrandt at work was truly exceptional. Not povolanějšího man in Europe that ultrasound could make, "says a leading expert to visit Petr Velenský. "Thomas Hildebrandt directly at our Giant salamanders examine internal organs and check that they are medically okay."
Chinese giant salamander Keeping calm is not an easy task, they are able to develop great strength. His would tell about one of the German breeders in Karlsruhe that when ultrasound largest Giant salamanders in Europe Karla lost a finger. Giant salamanders work with more difficult by the fact that they should not be handled with bare hands, to prevent damage to their skin. Veterinarians and breeders so they had to use cloth gloves or a special gel.
In the Prague zoo everything went fine and the newly obtained results brought good news, especially about the possibility of an earlier attempt to breed these rare creatures.
Video HERE
Source: tz Zoo Praha
Author tz: Jana Ondrejechová
Photo to tz: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
