C. orientalis sexing + White Variant?

A

aimee

Guest
Hi all!

Carrying on from my earlier post about Cynops orientalis sexing, I took some clearer pics to help identify their sexes.

6569.gif

Female? Quite a bulky body...

6570.gif

Female? Again quite a bulky body..

6571.gif

Male? Convinced this one is male - smaller in szie compared to the other two and more streamline too - not a bulky body.

Whilst Cleaning them out today, I noticed the male(3rd picture) was much lighter in colour, almost greeny grey and looking closer I noticed a red line running along the dorsal. I've read a post like this before that they change colour when they are shedding but this little guy shed his skin a few weeks ago... Any ideas? He has gone like this a few times before but I never really noticed it before...

6572.gif


Read a lot of care sheets on these guys, but still no sucess in breeding. had them about 3 years now (My first newts) so sexually mature. Any ideas to encourage them to breed?
 
Hi Aimee, I agree with your sex determination. Nice photos, btw. The best way to encourage breeding is to cool them down to the 50s F for the winter and feed them as much as they'll eat in the fall.

C. orientalis can change color at any time, not just when shedding (I've never known them to change color when shedding anyway). No one really knows why they do it, but it apparently does not bother them in any way.

Good luck with the breeding!
 
Hi Nate

Thanks - The pics were a joint effort ( I held the newts, a friend took the pics)

Thanks for the info. Still not 100% sure as I've seen the two 'females' have just as swollen cloca as the male a few times.

I will move them into a heavily planted tank and try to lower the temps.

I've had problems keeping the temps low in winter - I am not able to use the fridge or I would keep them at 6-8'c. Would wintering them outside be a good idea? The only thing that worries me about these is they have always been in a fairly warm temp ie about 18-20'c+ so I don't know if they could handle the 2'c temps and lower that will probrably happen in the UK this year? I couldn't bear to lost them after 3 years of care
sad.gif
.

Mind you looking at it on the other hand, they have been through a lot with me so I think they'd be fine outside?

So apart from feeding and temp change, anything else I could do to stimulate these guys? I would love to breed them next year - never had eggs from these before and they are definatly mature enough.
 
Well, most temperate newts are stimulated by temperatures. I personally don't like keeping newts outside because I feel there is less control of the situation and you introduce many more variables to their survival. If you feel safe with it, then go for it, because lowering their temps and liberal feeding is the solution to breeding.

There will be no problems with lowering their temps, regardless of how warm they've been kept the last few years. I don't use a fridge to lower my tank temps, I simply keep them in an unheated room for the winter. Perhaps crack open a window to let the room get very cold for even 3 days to a week...that can stimulate them.
 
Hi Nate

Thanks for the responce.

It's difficult to keep the room they are in cold as it is my bedroom. I don't mind it being cold - quite nice in the summer - but in winter its a bit too nippy for me!

I will most likely end up winterintg them outside. I wintered my P.Waltl outside last year and they were fine. So looks like they will be outside.

Although I have wintered newts outside before, would it be a good idea to drop some daphnia/tubifex worms in there occasionally? Obviously I feed them a little in the winter but I only fed the Waltl's frozen tubifex and not alot because their metabolism wass so slow. This year temps will be even colder.

I've heard that feeding them in the winter could lead to gut rot as the food starts to rot in the gut and cause it to split. Don't really fancy having to bury my fire-bellies...
 
I suppose if they are just above freezing, the gut rot might be a problem. My orientalis have continued to eat heartily as low as 45F/8C and so I actually increase feeding for egg output. Many species of newts and salamanders are active throughout the winter and are regularly observed foraging under ice. I think the gut rot issue is more reptilian, though it might apply to some tropical salamander species. I've never heard of it nor encountered it myself with salamanders.
 
Ah right ok.

Thanks for all the info Nate - I should be putting them outside in the next few days.

Will let you know if they breed next year!

Thanks again
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top