Which Paramesotriton?

[pete]

Last weekend I bought the paramesotriton in the picture in a local shop's clearance sale for a friend of mine. Unfortunately I now cannot contact the friend, so I am housing the para until I can speak to him.

I've put it in a 30cm hexagonal tank with a small filter, caves, plants and an island. So far it has stayed in the water rather than on the island. I feed it on bloodworms and a large chunk of earthworm from the garden ever two days. It feeds readily and seems very healthy. There are no sores or any damage on it that I can see.

Am I looking after it OK?

It is in about 25cm of still mineral water (no chlorine). Do I need to do a partial water change, if so, how often please?

Can anyone say whether this is a fuzzy or a hong?

Can anyone say which sex it may be please?

Thanks

Pete

(Message edited by jennewt on September 17, 2004)

 

[benjamin]

This newt looks practically Identical to one of mine. I still don't know what my newts are but I have one that looks Identical to yours exact same belly pattern and every thing. If you want to see pictures of my newts go on to the species forums, then go to fire belly newts, then go to mysterious warty newts. If you live in england there's a small chance we go them at the same place.

 

[pete]

Which sex is this Paramesotriton? Can anyone say?

Benjamin, is your's a hongkongensis? Did you ever find out?

 

[benjamin]

The debate goes on whether or not mine is a hongkongensis or a fuz. Currently the argument is leaning towards honkongensis, although I'm absolutely positive my newts are the same as yours. It seems that most warty newt owners are not exactly sure about the type of newts they own.

 

[pete]

Can anyone say what the gender of this newt is?

 

[jennifer]

If it's hongkongensis, the males and females are virtually identical outside of breeding season. I'm not sure about sexing fuzhong.

 

[benjamin]

I think my newts (and yours) are fuzhongs because the belly pattern is slightly different from the hongkongensis pictures I've seen.

 

[pete]

Ben,

Do you think that feeding it a small earthworm every two days is enough?

How often do you carry out a partial water change?
I'm also keeping this (one) newt in a 1 foot tank.

By the way I got it at Chessington too!

Pete

 

[benjamin]

I feed mine as much as they will eat each day, which can very from nothing to about five I make sure they eat the worm by dangeling it from my fingers and wiggling it in their faces. When I first got them they ate allot but now they eat only a little probably because they are now full. A have one newt bought at the same store, same time as the others but it's a different species and it's got an infected wound so I keep it in a sepperate aquarium about 1 foot long which I think should be adequate for one newt. I haven't had the newts for long and have been moving them from tank to tank so I haven't changed their water yet. Seeing as you got it in Chessington this is shere proof that you have the same type of newt that I do. Don't feed them worms that are too small 2-5 inches (When fully extended) is ideal.

 

[pete]

Thanks Ben. Looks like I need to feed it a little more than I do. I suspect that they need a partial water change (eg 1/3 of the water is replaced) every couple of weeks or so, especially in a small tank. I used to do this with my tropical fish.

Here are a couple more pictures of it. The picture quality is not as good as yours but they are taken with a video camera. Presumably you are using a digital camera.

 

[benjamin]

Yeah I have a digital camera. People on this site are beginning to convince me my newts are honkongensis, but a picture of the belly pattern of a hongkongensis in one of my books convinces me that the newts are not hongkongensis, the differences are only slight but they are there. You might not have the best picture quality but how do you get them to stand still for the out of tank shots (especially the belly one), my newts are pretty viscous animals when handled wiggling, bitting, and even making the occasional noise. Another reason why I do not think my newts are hongkongensis is because they were sold along with caudos both under the false name as "paddle tail newt", this leads me to believe that the newts were caught in the same area and hongkongensis' range does not overlap with caudopunctatus.

 

[pete]

Ben, this is a pic of the last newt that was left in the tank at the shop. I have been reliably informed that it is a caudopunctatus. It was reddish in colour.

You may well be right about the range overlap. Your theory sounds plausable, unless the wholesaler mixed batches from more than one area...who knows? I don't know enough about it - I was only looking after this one for a friend...

The animal does wriggle, however it is much more placid than yours by the sound of it. The video takes 20 frames per second and I have software to capture an individual frame, otherwise, you're right, it would be difficult to take a single photo.

I didn't know that they could bite!

 

[benjamin]

Well that's definately the same store. I've been bit by a number of newts even a tiny Cynops orientalis don't worry though I think the only newts capable of drawing blood are mudpuppys, hellbenders, and giant asian salamanders.

 

[pete]

Here's a nice picture:

Pete

 

[benjamin]

No doubt about it, just like mine. Do you know what kind of enclosure your friend is going to keep it in?

 

[pete]

Ben,

Sadly my friend cannot accommodate it after all....I'll have to find a home for it. Keeping it in solitary in a 1ft tank in my garage doesn't seem right. With winter coming it will soon get too cold in there anyway.

Do you want it??

(It is in very good health as far as I can see and feeds very well.)

Pete

 

[benjamin]

I would like it, but you seem to be keeping it well. I most definately have plenty of room and at least one friend of the same species. Would it do your self any harm if you kept the newt for at least the next week, But please keep me on the reserved list of people who want the newt, until I get back to you. I think this would be the only way I'ld be able to garauntee that I had the same species.

 

[benjamin]

Where could we exchange the newt, my parents say it has to happen on neutral ground? When could we do this I'm probably ok with sunday or next weekend.

 

[jesper]

Ben, it would be super if you could differentiate hongkongensis from fuzhongensis by the belly pattern. The most obvious difference is the smoothness of the skin if I've got it right.
Hongkongensis have smoother lateral skin than fuzhongensis which have very granulated skin. I'll try to get a shot of mine today so you see what I mean.

 

[benjamin]

Yeah, I'm pretty worried all three of my newts are different species now. The big one is a fuhzong, the green one is a hongkong, and the the brown one is most definitely a male caudopunctatus. Pete's is probably a fuhzong so I'ld be very interested in having it, so I could have at least two of the same species. Last time I went shopping for warty newts I bought three most different newts in the tank to ensure I had a decent sex ratio. Next time I'll when dealing with warty newts I'll try and get the most similar ones.