N. v. viridescens with extra spots

[KevinS]

I found this guy on the job last week and thought some of you newt enthusiasts might like to see. I came across another individual with extra spotting several years ago so it's probably not too uncommon, but I've never personally seen one with such an atypical abundance of orange spots as this.

 

[otolith]

Very cool pattern on that one, looks like hes in full breeding condition. I wonder if that type of coloration is more or less common in certain populations. great photos!

 

[caudatadude28]

Thats a gorgeous newt!

 

[Azhael]

Beautiful, indeed.
I´m curious about the skin on the hind legs and tail..it looks infected. Have you seen this in other animals, or was it just this individual?

 

[caudatadude28]

He isnt in "full" breeding dress. Male notos get a very large tail crest that goes halfway up the back, typically.

 

[Jennewt]

That's a really neat pattern (or lack thereof)! I had a group of N.v. dorsalis that I kept for 20+ years and I noticed that as they got older, they got more and more orange spots. Here is a photo of one of the old ones. I had owned this WC newt for about 18 years at the time of the photo.

 

[KevinS]

Beautiful, indeed.
I´m curious about the skin on the hind legs and tail..it looks infected. Have you seen this in other animals, or was it just this individual?

It was just silt-he was in and out of the fallen leaves and some of it stuck on his back.

I had a group of N.v. dorsalis that I kept for 20+ years and I noticed that as they got older, they got more and more orange spots.

That's interesting, I didn't think of this as something that might accumulate with age. Here's the one I found a few years ago with some extra orange. As you can see, his is more concentrated in the lateral areas compared to the more dorsally positioned spots on the one above.

 

[Azhael]

Silt? are you sure?
The base of the tail certainly looks like the skin is damaged and the vertebrae are starting to become apparent....
Did you wash it or something?

 

[KevinS]

Silt? are you sure?
The base of the tail certainly looks like the skin is damaged and the vertebrae are starting to become apparent....
Did you wash it or something?

I didn't try to wash it, but it didn't look injured/infected to me in person though there might have been some loose skin (I remember seeing another individual in the process of shedding). I can see how the pictures look a little suspicious though and I guess anything's possible. However, I don't see any vertebrae-I think what you're noticing are scalloped edges of the tail fin. See the pictures of the other male I posted for comparison.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Some dead skin and alittle dirt can look really bad untl is falls away.