Spindly-Leg Syndrome in Captive-bred Amphibians. A recurring problem and a new Commentary

A problem I thought had been solved in the 1990s continues to bedevil efforts to breed frogs and toads in captivity. Tadpoles seem to growing and metamorphosing normally until the stage at which the front legs appear. Then the front legs emerge as spindly, weak limbs on which the fully metamorphosed frog cannot stand or move about to feed. There is no known remedy. I was heavily involved in breeding amphibians in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have now taken the opportunity to review the evidence base on the possible cause or causes of this condition and how it may be prevented.

The Commentary can be found in pdf format on my other site, Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds: A Historical Perspective of their Care in Captivity, HERE.

Tadpoles developing within the egg of the poison-dart frog
Dendrobates truncatus which lays its eggs in small clutches on land