My C.O. had bitten off ALL her toes and feet...

[ravenous]

During winter I noticed for the first time that my CO was laying eggs! It was awesome, but she didnt lay very many. I also left the eggs alone and they would dissapear a few days later. Im guessing she or the male ate them as theyre the only tankmates (besides a snail)

After that period I noticed the female had lost all the toes on one foot. Than later, the other toes, than all the toes. I was worried but NEVER saw her doing anything, nor the male. I fed them regularly and as of today she has NO feet whatsoever. Her legs now cut off into stumps where the hand/palm would begin. Oddly enough, there is NO blood, no discoloration. The stumps are black as if this was natural. Shes acting and eating just fine, just now on nubs. I feel bad for her. Is this habit normal? What happened here?

 

[Jennewt]

This is most likely the result of infection. When limbs are injured by biting, the resulting injury is usually ragged looking, at least initially, and it wouldn't be likely to happen to all 4 legs. But it's not unusual for a newt's toes to simply erode away - I don't understand why it happens, but it does. I call this limb rot, for lack of a better word.

Your next question is going to be what to do about it, and I don't have a good answer to that. Try to reduce the temperature. Look very closely at water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). Clean out debris, but don't undertake a massive cleaning of the whole tank. Don't handle the newt. You could consider keeping her in a quarantine container (wet paper towels changed daily) and apply antibiotic ointment, but this will stress her more and may do more harm than good, since she is otherwise eating and acting normally.

 

[ravenous]

Thanks for the info Jenn. Yea, I never saw her limbs rotting, being bitten or anything. Just over night theyd be gone. The sever is clean, as the stumps are rounded and black. They dont look raw or anything, theres no bones sticking out or blood.

Yea shes normal and great, Still swimming and eating like a pig. I think a quarantine would work against her.

 

[ravenous]

Just an update for the non-curious.

Snow, my nubby newt, has begun to regenerate some fingers. Its weird cuz each foot has about 2 little fingers and her front hands have one middle finger so it looks like she has hooks :lol: