Eastern Newts – Notophthalmus viridescens

[Thomas]

Wants to start a thread about my Newts. I will continue it from time to time and at the end I hope to show you some newt larves.

 

Last year in spring I bought four less or more young Eastern Newts. At this time they were in their terrestrial phase. The  metamorphosed juveniles live the first 2 – 2,5 years only at land and I don’t know when I can try to breed them.

In this phase the newts are reddish colored and accordingly called “red efts” In german they are called “Grünliche Wassermolche – greenish water newts” But only the adults are greenish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But they grow much and at the beginning of Dec. 2012 I started the overwintering of the quartet – till yesterday. As you can see, they looks greenish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today they moved in a small plastic tank with < 1 cm Water level and a big Anubia. In this stadium Newts can easily drowning, the skin must change to "Water live". Then I can raise the water level and with every skinning the tail broadens more and more.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you think that Anubia isn’t the best choice for this plan…you are right! Have to change it to Javamoss or so

 

 

 

 

[oaken]

Those are really cool. How long does it take until they become aquatic? What do you feed them?

[Thomas]

Not sure how long it takes. Now they sometimes walk through the shallow water, but I couldn’t noticed any skinning. Think it takes some days. maybe even a few weeks till I can put them in a tank with a water level about 20 cm. 

 

Feed them micro crickets (which they catch themselves – no pincette feeding), sometimes wax moth larvae, (very) small worms. Sometimes frozen food for my fishes e.g krill, served on a shashlik spit, woodlice. Later in the water they will feed like fishes: bloodworms, daphina, Artemia.

[Colin]

Nice newts Thomas – I have kept and bred quite a few species over the years and I currently do a lot of work with T. cristatus in my ecology work as they are a protected species.

 

Looking to get some of the banded newts Ommatotriton vittatus soon as I have always liked them and found a guy online who will be selling eggs soon

[Thomas]

So, today I’ve raised the water level and see what happens No panic newts, but water newts.

 

After that they moved into a free 60cm Tank with only a few cm water level. So they can reach easy the wood and plants.

I’m very pleased with them!

 

[Jrp]

Very nice newts!

I used to keep this species years ago, but they are not available here now since they are a native species.

Oddly, I have never seen the adults or red eft stage in the wild, though. I know the local universities have collected them in the area. I guess I just don’t know where to look.

[Matt]

Really nice Thomas. 🙂 So this species is from the United States?

[Thomas]

Right Matt. Similar to the european Lissotriton (except the crest) but without the paperwork (legal regulations). 🙂

[Jrp]

Yes, its found in the eastern US and southern Canada.

 

 

[Thomas]

Some new pics.

 

The gender relation is 3 males and 1 female. The males are more and more wearing their water suit. On the second last pic you can see the amplexus of Notophthalmus, of course too soon. At least for the female, the male has dropped his spermatophore (last pic) but the female only left the water. Water temperature is 16° C

 

 

[Matt]

Nice new pics. 🙂 Do keep us updated on progress Thomas.

[Jrp]

Very nice!!

There are local variations in the red markings of this species The ones I used to be able to get had broken red horizontal stripes and elongated spots along the dorsal surface instead of round spots.

[Thomas]

Jrp, you mean N. v. dorsalis?

http://www.ag-urodela.de/daten_arten/notophthalmus/viridescens/dorsalis/bild_nvd.htm

 This is a very nice subspecies. In the german trade I never seen other Notophthalmus than the N. viridescens viridescens.

[Jrp]

Yes, that’s the one I used to find in pet stores. N. viridescens viridescens is the one that lives in my area. I plan on doing a little searching in my area after the weather warms up to see if I can find them in the wild.

[Thomas]

The mating seems to be executed. Few days ago I separated the female and today I gave a male with nice water suit in her tank. On evening the “Notoamplexus” began and when the male release the female, she’s following him and I’m pretty sure, she takes his spermatophore.

The pic was taken after she collect the spermatophore, she is still after him.

 

Cheers,

Thomas

[Author]

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