Stumpy Redback

[Otterwoman]

Here's a little redback I found in my yard the other day,
with a little stumpy tail. It's like Newt: the compact version.

 

[Slimy2]

HI

Looks like it got cut off by maybe a predator or rival salamander. The tails can come off pretty easy you should keep taking pictures to see how fast it regenerates.

 

[Otterwoman]

Oh, I just saw it in my yard and took a picture. I didn't keep it. Maybe I'll see it again under the log I found it originally, though I never found that pregnant mother under that rock again.
But I have that Stubby Noto I caught--we can see if his tail ever gets any bigger.
Remember that one? He is just learning to eat from a jar.

 

[John]

Looks like it got cut off by maybe a predator or rival salamander.

"Rival salamander"? That conjures up images of large mammals butting heads and horns. New York must be a dangerous state with all those rampaging salamanders...

 

[Slimy2]

Hi

Other salamanders keeping territory. I have had a salamander lose it's tail from another salamander in one of my first terreriums. That's when I started transferring them to bigger ones. The tail slowly grew back. In other cases rival males competeing for females and interrupting courtship by biting. So I suppose it is a possibility.

 

[John]

I'll get my elephant gun .

 

[keithp]

Yeah could be it was attacked by a predator and it's tail dropped off to get away, a defense mechanism to survive. When they never loose their tails they get really long it's an amazing sight!

 

[dane_zu]

ah, the ol' stump, ive seen a few of these guys, even saw a redback with a forked tail once