How strong is a Notophthalmus viridescens' tail?...This strong!!!

[NathanF]

Tonight I walked by the tank where I house a single Notophthalmus viridescens and saw something truly amazing! I have seen this little guy climb in and out of all sorts of surprising places, but I couldn't believe what I saw this time. In the tank there is a decorative mini hollow tree stump, which I have turned into a sort of waterfall. Hanging from the top was the Notophthalmus viridescens...he was hanging solely from the very very very tip of his tail. He was supporting the entirety of his weight with the tip of his tail and was swinging his body trying to gain momentum to swing himself back onto the log. He hung there for close to 10 minutes just by the tail! Eventually he swung himself back to safety and sat in the same spot for half an hour taking a nap.

 

[NathanF]

Whoops didn't mean to post those pictures sideways...let's try again.

 

[NathanF]

The amazing part wasn't just how strong this little guy's tail was, but the stamina he had to hold himself there for 10 minutes and then swing himself to safety...here's a picture of our hero taking his well deserved nap.

 

[Hunter9]

cool thing with the log you'v got going on, i must say. i'v never seen my noto's hang by their tail, but mine are expert jumpers. i see them deliberatly jump 3-4 inches into the water on a regular basis, i'v even seen a gravid feamale climb - and then jump about 1 foot into the water!!! i saw my largest male climb about 1 and 1/2 feet up the glass, fall off ( adding a backflip for style points lol); hitting the water head first and then settling peacefully on all fours at the bottem of the tank

 

[ozarkhellbender]

Tonight I walked by the tank where I house a single Notophthalmus viridescens and saw something truly amazing! I have seen this little guy climb in and out of all sorts of surprising places, but I couldn't believe what I saw this time. In the tank there is a decorative mini hollow tree stump, which I have turned into a sort of waterfall. Hanging from the top was the Notophthalmus viridescens...he was hanging solely from the very very very tip of his tail. He was supporting the entirety of his weight with the tip of his tail and was swinging his body trying to gain momentum to swing himself back onto the log. He hung there for close to 10 minutes just by the tail! Eventually he swung himself back to safety and sat in the same spot for half an hour taking a nap.

Do you have any radioactive spiders in that tank as well? Very cool! I've never kept Notopthalamus viridescens, even though we have them around here in the wild, but I've kept some Asian newts and they never did anything like that.

 

[NathanF]

My guy really does love to climb there is a plant that stands about 8-9inches out of the water in the tank and for whatever reason he goes right to the top then drops right on into the water. Somedays he is all over the place climbing and swimming and other days he's in the same spot for 20 hours straight...

 

[DeCypher]

I have also seen my Notophthalmus Viridescens do this. I have a rock ledge in the tank and he will hang on it with his tail. When I first saw it, I thougt he was trying to commit suicide!

 

[RobM]

You watched him hang there for 10mins?

 

[NathanF]

Yeah I did watch him for 10 minutes...I really was intrigued. He wasn't going to get hurt it was a clear drop into water, so I wasn't concerned about getting him to safety and I really wanted to see how he would get himself out of the mess. I was sitting at my desk studying and the shelf with the tank is just above my head.

It was just over ten minutes when he finally swung himself into a position where he was able to get one hind leg and one front leg onto the log. I was expecting he would eventually get tired and drop into the water, but he surprised me.

The pictures are a bit deceiving they kind of look like his back leg is rested on the log, but in actuality he was fully suspended by his tail the entire time that I was watching!!!

 

[NathanF]

I forgot to mention at one point he was actually strong enough that he turned his body around and it looked like he was going to try and climb uo his own tail he was hanging there in the shape of a "U" is was very very cool. Notophthalmus viridescens the gymnast of the newt world.

 

[DeCypher]

A couple months ago, I had to feed my female, but she was hanging from her tail. I was able to successfully tweezer-feed her an earthworm, all while she was hanging!

So they must really be the gymnasts of the newt world!