Cynops ensicauda popei

[Chinadog]

Don't blame you mate, get 'em while you still can, I say. My South Okinawa popei are still on land and seem happier there for now, these two are the ones you sent me so are a little older and bigger. They aren't as razzle dazzle as the Southern ones, but they're still pretty in an understated kind of way, the more you look, the more you see, a bit like pyrrhos I guess. I just hope they're a pair!

 

[mr cyclone]

My mate Dave and I have 1.1 north Okinawa so all is not lost

 

[Chinadog]

Well dude, you can have pick of the litter if mine start multiplying.

 

[Chinadog]

I cleaned out the South Okinawa ensicaudas today so thought I'd get some new pictures. Despite still being on land they're doing very well at the moment and are real chunky little things. Compared to terrestrial pyrrho babies these are almost fearless and always on the lookout for food, I know I already mentioned it earlier in the thread, but they can scamper about more like lizards than little newts!

 

[Niels D]

They're looking very good. I'm raising them aquatic now.

 

[Chinadog]

Yes, that's been my plan, I even have a tank set up and ready for them, but they seem to be doing so well on land that I haven't tried them in the water yet. I've also been giving them a colour suppliment dusted on their worms, that will be much harder if they were aquatic.

 

[Niels D]

Ah yes, that's hard to do in the water. The reason I'm not giving caroteen powder to my Cynops and Paramesotriton species anymore is because of the fact that the Daphnia out of my pond seems to contain enough to give them a red colour.

You can add caroteens to live tubifex by putting some on it while they're in a shalow glass of water and letting them stay in there for a couple of hours or longer in the fridge.

If they're doing so great on land I wouldn't put them in water either. I'm allergic to terrestrial setups, because I suck at using them. Only the Paramesotriton animals get a terrestrial fase here. That's because they really can't do without it alas.

 

[Chinadog]

I really don't enjoy having terrestrial set ups either, but my baby pyrrhos seem to do best with a time on land just after morphing. I don't have any terrestrial pyrrhos at the moment though, so there's some spare tubs knocking about.
I will try supplementing some Tubifex, I'm going to look into culturing blackworms soon, so maybe it will work with those as well.

 

[Niels D]

I guess so. They do seem to have a lot of similarities.

 

[Jort]

I'm raising them aquatic, but some of them seem to keep on clinging on the glass and look hydrophobic. One day later they appear wet and fully aquatic though. Though they're a bit bigger now, I still feed a lot of Daphnia, so their bellies keep on getting more red instead of yellow.

 

[Niels D]

Yours have morphed then. Most here still are larvae. They simply refuse to morph. I could only make a couple of people happy with juveniles on Gersfeld. Today I've taken them inside, because it's getting a bit too cold. I'll expect most of them to morph within weeks now they're getting warmer temperatures.

 

[Chinadog]

I'm trying the biggest three of my south Okinawa in an shallow aquatic set up now. They are still climbing the glass from time to time, but they've been submerged as well. I haven't seen them eat underwater yet,but it's early days yet.

 

[Chinadog]

I've been wanting to update this thread for a while, but they're still quite shy and hard to photograph. They are all fully aquatic and doing very well on worms and growing very quickly.
They are starting to look very much like the plastic model one I got from Japan, I'm not sure what they make of it staring into their tank though!

 

[ndbug]

"Got to fill that gap. Between tanks" I got a kick out of this I know what you mean ;D

 

[Niels D]

Looking good mate!

 

[Chinadog]

A couple of recent pics. I'm starting to get an idea of the sex ratio now as there is an obvious difference in tail length, I think both sexes are equally stunning with this species mind you!

 

[Rambro]

Very Cool Newts !! Thanks

 

[Chinadog]

They're way off fully grown, but I've been seeing the first courting behaviour in the South Okinawa group, I think it could be the lower temps we're having. I've seen the females squeezing leaves with their back legs like they're egg laying but no actual eggs yet. terrible pic, but it's the best I can get at the moment.

 

[Chinadog]

Plenty more courting behaviour but still no eggs! A couple of the females certainly look gravid so I'm still hopeful. I only have one south Okinawa male, I can't help thinking if he had some competition things would be moving a bit quicker... Patients has never been one of my strong points, though!

 

[Chinadog]

They've outgrown their old tank so I've moved them into a new 65 gallon. The plants still need to get hold so it seems a little empty, but the newts seem to like it and have settled in nicely. I have three more juvenile South Okinawa popei on their way after Xmas (cheers Aaron!) but there should be plenty of room for everyone in there.