My Newts are Obese

[jewett]

All my newts are fat and I feel they need to slim down. All of them are primarily fed blackworms and cut up canadian nightcrawers, with the occasion slug, whiteworm and sowbug/pillbug thrown in. Between the two types of worms, which are the highest in calories and fat, or in other words which should I cut back on the most? I keep the tanks stocked with blackworms, in that I add more to the tank whenever I can't see any more, and I offer chunks of earthworms about once a week. Or should I even worry about body condition that much in my caudates? I feel kinda hypocritical because I stricktely ration my two dogs diets as well as their excercise, and I try to educate clients at the vet clinic where I work about the importance of a lean figure for our pets, but I have let my newts and tiger sal balloon up to, well, balloons.
As always, any input appreciated
Heather

 

[Kaysie]

I would just feed them smaller amounts.

 

[Jennewt]

It certainly doesn't do them any harm to get hungry between feedings. Ambystomatids can become obese, but I've never seen a problem with it in newts.

For comparison, this page shows healthy gravid females:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml
And this page shows a grossly obese tiger sal:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/FAQcar.shtml

If your newts look like the former, not the latter, I wouldn't worry about it much.

 

[jewett]

Thanks gals, they do look more like the newts on the first link, Jen, and none look as chunkie as that tiger (thank goodness!)