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Old 01-13-2010, 11:32 AM   #6 (permalink)
Rich Frye
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Chicago
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...can't interpret the last post, but...
I tend to think it is a combo of a few things. I dealing with the number of frogs I have , I rarely see SLS, but have experienced it a few times. here is what I have come up with.
Heredity is quite possibly a factor. As Josh mentioned some frogs seem to have a genetic tendency more than others for SLS.
Food could also be a trigger(the trigger to a genetic predisposition) as some have experienced luck after switching to better food stuffs. But I think food is to a lesser degree than the last trigger.
Stress. Stress is what I have found to be a major trigger to SLS. The female being stressed either contributes to lesser quality eggs (most likely), or lesser quality egg feeding , or there is possibly a hormone released, or not released while the female is stressed.
I come to this conclusion from one of the few groups I have seen SLS in. My Robalo trio (2:1) were producing SLS froglets for about a year straight. They were in a 29 gallon hex with two males, one female. I don't like to move my frogs around a lot. So I waited until it seemed I had to move them. Once I moved the trio and removed the second male the SLS went away. Absolutely. There were no other variables other than the move to a much larger viv and a removal of the subordinate male. Food stuffs exactly the same. Air temps , exactly the same. Water temps for tads, exactly the same. The only variable was the larger viv and less stress.

An SLS froglet is very noticeable in that the front legs are very deformed and much smaller than they should be. Movement and the ability to sit up is greatly hindered. The issue with SLS is that it is not an absolute as an only deformation. There are times when froglets will morph with slightly deformed limbs and still get around well enough to live.This is not SLS. True SLS is usually a death sentence and froglets should be culled. It may be a bit tough at times to determine exactly what the deformity is, but if your frog can not sit up or move around to catch food, cull it. or it is doomed to a slow painful death.
I do not have any good pics of actual SLS. Sorry.

Rich
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