In which the fat lady overeats and has me seriously worried

[Molch]

Yesterday I fed earthworms and the fat lady (I.a.apuanus) went into a very unlady-like feeding frenzy and ate too much too fast. She was aggressively pursuing the other newts trying to take their worms away too. After I thought she was done, I stopped paying attention and when I looked again, she was in the process of eating yet another large worm piece which she had wrestled away from one of the others.

Today, she looks absolutely enormously grotesquely obese (see pics). I was worried she had developed bloat, but after reading up on it, I now think (hope) it's just a case of too many earthworms. The fatness is only in her belly, not her throat or neck, and she's swimming around normally.

I feel guilty that I didn't pay more attention and kept her from eating that much - her having such an important job laying eggs right now.

Is it possible for a newt to eat themselves to death in one sitting? When you have a glutton like that, would it be best to separate her from the others at feeding time so she won't get too much (I did make sure all the others had their worms)?

 

[FRANCOIS]

My chinese warty newt can swallow a nightcrawler twice his length, sometimes I wonder where he puts it in?

 

[slowfoot]

I had a similar problem when one of my female Notopthalmus ate a huge ball of blackworms. She looked like your pictures for a few hours and I could tell she was really uncomfortable. Finally, she vomited the whole ball up and looked like she felt better instantly.

I wouldn't worry too much unless the huge belly doesn't get smaller after a day or so.

 

[Terroricha]

Well;, I imagine that because you have not posted any bad news, that she is fine...

Still, I would be a bit more careful in the future. Perhaps separate your newts. If for no other reason than because it seems that she can successfully bully the rest of them. I have seen frogs die from gastric overload before too. They literally eat until their stomach pops. I imagine it can happen to newts as well, though soft food items should make this more difficult.

 

[Molch]

The Fat Lady did it again - this time, I took her out of the tank and fed her separately (just 2 pieces - she's still fat from the last time) and let the other newts clean up before I put her back in.

Then it was time to harvest some Daphnia and I put a net full into their tank, thinking, oh well, it's lights-out time and they're full, they won't hunt Daphnia in the dark.

Once again, I underestimated the Fat Lady. Half an hour later, with all the other newts resting on the floating plants, I see her stalking the very last Daphnia in the dark tank, with her abdomen all huge and lumpy from the ones she ate. She looked like a hot-air balloon in pursuit of a bunch of mosquitos, or like Aunt Marge in the 2nd Harry Potter movie, after Harry blew her up and she floated away over Little Winging.:rofl:

What to do with a glutton like that? How do any of you handle your overeaters? Do you separate them at feeding time? Or do you just let them sort it out for themselves?

Maybe we should found a Overeaters Anonymous club...

 

[Ken Worthington]

Maybe we should found a Overeaters Anonymous club...

I'll send in an application form from my Pleurodeles waltl.....(he doesn't know about it yet, btw )
He's forgotten about his New Year Resolution of joining a gym.

He's kept alone in his tank, so I can't offer any advice on tank mates/feeding issues.

All I can suggest is that when 'The Fat Lady' has had enough, NEVER offer her "just a waffer-thin mint"......:rofl:

 

[RobM]

She almost looks like a seal in those pics!
I think its always going to have to be a case of "dining for one"

 

[Terroricha]

I'll send in an application form from my Pleurodeles waltl.....(he doesn't know about it yet, btw )
He's forgotten about his New Year Resolution of joining a gym.

He's kept alone in his tank, so I can't offer any advice on tank mates/feeding issues.

All I can suggest is that when 'The Fat Lady' has had enough, NEVER offer her "just a waffer-thin mint"......:rofl:

You are my new favorite person for that reference.

As for the newt... I would not feed her again for like, a week. Give her time to digest. That way, you can see if the whole of the issue is food intake, or something else.

 

[anothernewtfan]

Oh wow, that is a glutton of a newt. I have never had that problem. As mentioned by others, she needs to digest for at least two days. You might even consider trying to cut smaller earthworm pieces so she has to find and eat more pieces before she looks like that.
My newest species, Triturus dobrogicus are the most ravenous feeders I have owned. This could be an issue for me in the future as one of my females acts very similar.