V-Horn hissers:

Matt K

Matt K

Eurycotis
Ok- so would anyone who knows facts about V-Horn hissers please remind me why they went extinct in captive culture?

How many were imported originally, how did they fare, how many generations concieved, etc. .....

Thanks!

Orin? You would know. George? Can you chime in from Europe on this?

 
Matt K said:
Ok- so would anyone who knows facts about V-Horn hissers please remind me why they went extinct in captive culture?How many were imported originally, how did they fare, how many generations concieved, etc. .....

Thanks!

Orin? You would know. George? Can you chime in from Europe on this?
Click to expand...
As far as I know this species never occured in the European hobby (though I'm sure some were sent there from the US at some point). It was in the USA from 1996-2007. Apparently only one guy had a large culture going but he mostly sent out adult pairs and one day he realized he had almost entirely males left and when his colony failed through his error nobody else seemed to have them going (which was odd because they really weren't at all difficult).

 
Zephyr said:
So there's a chance some basement breeder has a colony going?
Click to expand...
Its possible, but unlikely I think. Seems like if there were someone would 'know somebody' who has them.... they are pretty sought after (at least by me!) ha ha.

 
No. I talked with him about this. He did have two older ones at one point, but the female died before reproducing. The male was then put with a normal female portentosa and he thought he made hybrids, but then the male died and the nymphs grew up appearing as normal portentosa (the female may have bred with another male prior), at which point the culture was abandoned.

 
Zephyr said:
Ooh...Hmm...

Do you know where he acquired his?
Click to expand...
Yes.

There are no more available from that source. ...its been at least 2 or 3 years since anyone had seen or heard of them, and probably 5 or more since they were in captive care.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm assuming going to collect wild ones would be either illegal or very difficult, right? It's too bad they went "extinct" in the hobby.

 
Ralph said:
I'm assuming going to collect wild ones would be either illegal or very difficult, right? It's too bad they went "extinct" in the hobby.
Click to expand...
Well, not illegal, but very difficult. You would need the required import permits for the USA. You would need export permits from Madagascar and an exporter to work as a handler. From what I gather in Madagascar this is very difficult and//or expensive these days.

Then there is the current problem with the people of Madagascar and some violence going on there with the (yet again) upset in the government....though this has been happening off and on for 40 or 50 years I think...

George Beccaloni was there in the past couple years to collect the neat-o hisser L.maxima, but I do not know if it was just documentation or if he brought any livestock back to his home in England (I think he lives in London ???) While his tripo nmay have preceded violent uprising in the area, he could certainly speak to the red taped end of the issue.....

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top