Is my newt fat or does it have bloat?

[J355ie]

I know your not meant to handle them and don’t usually I was just trying to get some pictures to show

I have 3 Chinese fire bellies
2 males and 1 female

The female has always been bigger than the males and obviously bloats out when she has eggs

I’m concerned about one of my males as he has been getting bigger and now looks like a graid female he is now the biggest of the 3 and was about the same size as the smallest one in the pictures
Could I be feeding them to much and he is getting fat or could there be other health concerns I need to look into?

 

[Niels D]

Are you sure it's a male? Cynops development can differ from individual to individual. Some take a lot more time to mature, so it could be that you've had 2 females al along.

 

[J355ie]

Are you sure it's a male? Cynops development can differ from individual to individual. Some take a lot more time to mature, so it could be that you've had 2 females al along.

Yes it’s definitely a male both get frills out of their vents during breeding season
They are around 15 years old

 

[Niels D]

Then it's definitely a male. In my opinion it doesn't look like the "traditional" bloat, like the kind that is the result of medical conditions like kidney failure or a bacterial infection etc. You would see a larger area of the torso being swollen, sometimes even the limbs. Keep checking you're animal for an increase of the swelling. If it does increase within a couple of days, take it to a vet.

I've seen animals (especially Cynops species) get more and more swollen when they get older. Though Cynops species (incl. orientalis) can get a lot older than 15 years old, it could be just that. This will increase over the years as well, but this won't develop as rapidly. I've seen a 40 year old C. pyrrhogaster with a torso as round as a balloon. I believe to remember it's due to the abdomen getting weaker over time, but I could definitely be wrong.

If he keeps on being active and keeps on accepting food items, I would monitor him for now. Take it to a vet to be sure of course.