Four "Chinese" Rough-skinned Newts

[Otterwoman]

Here's a worm bath. The worms do tend to clump up, but I unclump with my finger. Note the newt in the right picture, EATING!!!!!

 

[Kaysie]

Fabulous!

Mine are REALLY not that smart, as I'll put them in the worm bath, and they'll continue to look up at me, waiting for food to fall from the sky. I have to hold their little head down, and then they realize they're surrounded by food!

 

[Otterwoman]

One of them succumbed today; and it was one of the ones eating earthworms, too. They were eating one earthworm a day, though yesterday the one didn't eat, and today, gone. Rats.
But the other three seem to be doing OK for now...

 

[Otterwoman]

Well, of the four, three are doing quite well. Here's a picture of the one that was the worst of the bunch (and he managed to survive!); before and after shots. The first was taken a few days after I first got them, and the second and third pics I took today. His hips still stick out a little, but for the most part he seems to have packed on the milligrams. I decided to update because yesterday at the pet store they had ANOTHER Taricha, and JUST as emaciated as this guy. Only one. I asked them where they got it and they said a customer (!!) brought it in, to trade! That poor thing! He sold it to me for a dollar, and today it ate a waxworm. I'll repeat the same procedure with this one, it seemed to work with the others. Poor little thing, though, it just breaks my heart to see them like this.

 

[audrey]

Way to go Dawn! It always makes me happy to see those guys saved!

 

[apples]

Hi Dawn,

Congrats on getting your more Tarichas, although of course I am not a fan of pet shops.

Secondly, I remember Ed has mentioned something called the "refeeding syndrome"--where the shock of eating a huge amount of food after being starved for a prolonged period of time can be fatal. Actually that animal is not too bad.

Not to raise your alarm, since you've had success with nurturing starving ones already but smaller more frequent feedings could be useful. (Edit: right, what Kaysie said about a month ago. )

Pin-pin

 

[Otterwoman]

I started them out on blackworms, then a 3/4 inch piece of earthworm and gradually up to earthworms. Now that I know they love waxworms, I'm offering them. He's eaten three total since I got him on Tuesday (5 days ago). Considering what pigs the healthy ones can be, I think that's starting out slow enough but if that's too fast, please let me know!