Unable to get wet?

[AfroNewtkeeper]

One of my female C. Orientalis is seemingly unable to get water on parts of her skin. I'm fairly certain that she's a juvenile, because she hasn't entered the water yet, unlike her tankmates. If I spray her, the droplets of water just roll right off her back. I set her underwater earlier, and she appeared to have a bubble coating almost all of her skin. Any ideas to what's causing this? She's perfectly healthy otherwise, and she's a voracious eater.

 

[Chinadog]

It sounds like she's still in a terrestrial phase for whatever reason. During terrestrial phases the newts skin changes from being wet/slimy to dry and granular, when she goes aquatic again she'll shed her skin soon after and look just like the others. As long as she's feeding and looking healthy I wouldn't worry, she could be still gaining strength and recovering from importation etc.

 

[Jennewt]

How large is the animal? In most cases even juvenile (over about 2 inches) can be adapted to water. If their skin is kept wet for a few days, the skin changes and stops being water-repellent.

However, note that small newts are sometimes more reluctant to become aquatic if there are larger newts present in the tank. So it may be difficult to keep the newt's skin wet, and even if you succeed with this, the newt may still resist going in the water due to the other newt(s).

As long as the newt is eating, I'd say she'll be OK regardless of aquatic or not.

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

I'd say Griffin is around 2" long, counting her tail. The other newt in there with her is maybe 2.5" and they seem to get along fine.

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

Alright, her skin is normal again, so I removed her island for the time being. She can crawl on some elodea or a java fern if she needs to get above water, but she seems content for now. She's examining the java moss I just added.