Molch's Marbled Morphs

[Molch]

Over the last week, 8 of my 10 marm babies have morphed and conquered the land. The last two are still in the water but should emerge very soon. They are about 6-7 cm long.

Their maternal grandmom is Otterwoma, from whom I got the eggs (Dawn - ya seeing this? Them's your babies Thanks so much; it was a blast raising them)

I have transferred them to a terrestrial setup with moss and soil and loaded with whiteworms, isopods, fruitflies and field plankton. I can't tell for sure they are eating, but they do swarm out at night and hunt around.

I hope I can get them accustomed to Jen's mass feeding method. I hope they'll take chopped earthworms that way, as they did in the water. I don't have earthworms small enough to feed whole; I will have to chop them.

These guys were shameless eating machines in the water; I do hope they'll continue this tradition on land...

 

[Mark]

Looking good! In my experience they become quite shy as soon as they leave the water, and who can blame them, it's a strange new world to get to grips with. After a few weeks and a bit of patience their usual confident personalities return.

 

[Molch]

I see - meanwhile, until they get their "land-legs", how can I get them to feed chopped earthworms? Should I not offer all that other food so they get more interested in earthworms? I tried to handfeed them but so far no interest. Then again, they may be hunting small critters at night, so maybe not too hungry. They don't look too thin to me...

(always worried the kids won't eat enough. It's a momma thing...)

 

[Mark]

There's a noticeable difference in the food requirements between larvae and metamorphs. Once on the land everything slows down and body weight is generally maintained for a much longer period compared with larvae. I suppose the metabolic changes reflect the new slow pace of life that terrestrial newts will have. If there’s plenty of prey in the enclosure they’ll be undoubtedly feeding. Don’t underestimate their ability to find food – there are no chopped worms offered in the wild . As an introduction to chopped worms I usually employ a toothpick to spear and hold the wriggling chunk just above their head. It’s rare they take it at first but once they realise it’s food it easy street all the way….

 

[Molch]

here an update pic. 2 months after morphing they are 7.5 to 8.5 cm long, so have grown about 1.5 cm but probably by about 70% or so in mass. They still live in forest floor setups and eating whiteworms,various isopod species and fruit flies. I'm also putting some small earthworms in there but don't know for sure if they get eaten.

They all eat, poop and grow. They are all in the same ballpark, size-wise. Nobody is left behind. Some are always a bit skinnier than others though. The newt room is cooling down; about 60 F right now. What do you think? Is this a good diet and growth rate? Should they be fatter? Should Mama make a greater effort to get them on earthworms?

 

[Niels D]

They all eat, poop and grow.

I just love it when they do that.

If you ask me they're doing just fine, but you can allways try to feed them earthworms.

 

[Bellabelloo]

My juveniles seemed slim, but once they went back into the water their girth increased.

 

[Molch]

thanks folks - yeah, they never seem to stuff themselves until they are beach-ball fat like my aquatic alpines. Even in Jen's mass-feeding thread, when you look at the pics, there are some that look more slender. So I guess that's how it should be for marbleds.

It's just that the mother in me keeps thinking, the fatter the better...

 

[Molch]

here is one of them in their setup. This one has the initial "K I" written on his side. I think he's trying to tell me something...but what ??

 

[Azhael]

They look fantastic, Molch. Personally i think not stuffing them is a good thing. There are some indications that at least some bloodlines (possibly localities) can be very susceptible to metabolic issues and very fast juvenile growth may be the original cause. It´s all speculative, of course, but there have been a number of suceses that hint in that direction. So maybe by not stuffing them you are actually preventing issues and assuring a good, healthy growth rate.

Anyway i love them, but i suposse killing you and stealing them would be....objectionable...*rolls eyes*

 

[Otterwoman]

I am so glad they are doing well! I think you know what happened to all of mine. I only have two left, but I do think it's a male and female.

 

[Molch]

Anyway i love them, but i suposse killing you and stealing them would be....objectionable...*rolls eyes*

har har, you may try, but I will defend them with my life. :violent::kill:

You are always welcome to come visit and view them up here in Winterfell. That may be redundant though considering you just have to turn over some rocks where you are to view marbled newts...

 

[Molch]

I am so glad they are doing well! I think you know what happened to all of mine. I only have two left, but I do think it's a male and female.

aah, yes, I weep for thee. Maybe, after an orgy like yours had, they require some sort of rest period? I dunno, maybe a laid-back terrestrial period; maybe their metabolisms slow down?

I've seen caribou and muskox bulls just about rut themselves to death. Some are left exhaused and skinny after rut, just when the winter hits them, an undoubtedly it contributes to mortality of bulls in winter. Mama Evolution is quite strict about this: if your genes got out there and your babies are on the way, then survival of the individual is not all that important any more.

 

[Azhael]

you just have to turn over some rocks where you are to view marbled newts...

Pfffff...do you know how many wild marmoratus i´ve seen?

2

They certainly are out there, but the little bastards won´t let me find them (not that i ever seem to have the chance to try).
Don´t tempt me about seeing marmoratus. I´d go beyond the wall just to see one once again, i would...

 

[Molch]

a couple pics I took in their enclosures today.

Every other night now I sit down with them and we play a game called "eat the damn earthworm already, you daft little newt". About half of them have caught on in the art of earthworm-gobbling. The others are still thinking about it.

Meanwhile, they continue to eat white worms, fruit flies, isopods and whatnots in their box.

 

[Otterwoman]

They look great!! I am so glad!

 

[Azhael]

Why, oh why, would you torture us like this? Haven´t we been nice to you?

 

[ed_moyer]

I can see them dreaming of water!! LOL

 

[Molch]

I can see them dreaming of water!! LOL

already, ya think? These guys hatched in May, so are only 7 months old - about 8 to 8.5 cm long. I would have thought they'd need another year? But I don't know...

 

[Otterwoman]

I agree, I think they need more time.