FB Newts fighting

[Justikanz]

Err... I just saw a bigger newt bit one of the smaller ones near the neck and refuses to let go and did a crocodile roll... The poor fella kept still and then escaped when the big one let loose his bite... There seems to be no physical damage. Think the smaller one went into the big one's territory when feeding...

Is this normal and ok? Are their bites potentially deadly for the newts?

[stormhawk]

Unless there is a visible sign of injury, you shouldn't worry too much. The newts can be territorial when they want to be but the degree of aggression differs from newt to newt. You probably have two males there so some aggression might have occurred, especially if a female was around.

Yours are the oriental firebelly or the japanese firebelly newt? One is much smaller and more docile. The Japanese firebelly grows alot larger and is a tough customer. Both are Cynops species though.

[vinz]

Problem is there are many newts that have "fire bellies". The Japanese firebelly is no longer available easily. The Japanese govt banned capture and export of that newt a few years ago.

The Chinese firebelly are not aggressive. I've ever only seen them accidentally bite another's leg during a feeding frenzy.

Another "firebelly" that is available here occassionally is the Paddletail newt. These guys grow to more then double the length of a CFB. Their skin is very smooth, velvet like. The tail does not taper and the tip is rounded like a paddle. (The CFB tail tip is pointed). These guys are territorial and aggressive hunters.

There are many more "firebelly" newts out there that show up time to time in the LFS.

An excellent amphibian site: http://www.livingunderworld.org/

Go to my (outdated) homepage for pictures. The link is below.

[Justikanz]

Oh... So the paddletail (PT) is a different species eh... I read about them but still tot they are the same as the CFBs... Thanks, Vinz!

Saw another type on sale... It has a greyish skin, rather rough... Bought 1 but it escaped from the tank and disappeared after it got bitten by a PT...

I had 2 PTs and 3 CFBs in the vivarium... 1 PT hid itself (himself?) at the extreme right and dun like to socialize... It used to allow 1 CFB into his place and the 2 of them used to feed there... Then, these days, I only see that PT there and the other 4 are on the other side... The other PT is friendly and mingle with the 3 CFBs very well...

The PT is the one that bit the poor CFB when the CFB went near him during feeding...

Should I leave the 3 CFBs there still? There is a small tank, now holding 4 CFBs, that I wanna convert to a paludarium later if they really have to go...

[vinz]

Well, the general rule of keeping amphibians is not to mix species. Other then the big eat small problem, is the "you can eat me cause I'm small, but I'm going poison you to death from inside out" problem.

I would really suggestion you separate the 2 species.

[Justikanz]

Okies... I would really need to set up the paludarium properly liao...

But then, I have a small frog rescued from being a feeder with the other 4 CFBs now... That would mean the new tank would have 7 CFBs and 1 frog... A little over populated?

Also, with just 2 PTs, would the agressive one get a little naughty and attack the other one, with its 3 CFBs 'companions' gone?

[stormhawk]

Another newt/salamander related link.

Alot of info at : http://www.caudata.org/

Home of the Caudata, aka Tailed Amphibians.

[vinz]

Okies... I would really need to set up the paludarium properly liao...

But then, I have a small frog rescued from being a feeder with the other 4 CFBs now... That would mean the new tank would have 7 CFBs and 1 frog... A little over populated?

Also, with just 2 PTs, would the agressive one get a little naughty and attack the other one, with its 3 CFBs 'companions' gone?

If the tank is big enough with at least 2 separate hiding places, they should be ok. My collegue kept 2 in a 1.5 ft tank and they kept out of each others way mostly. I don't recall any significant fights. As long as the small one is too big to be swallowed whole.

[Justikanz]

The vivarium is 2ft, with 1 prominent hiding space which the agressive PT is using...

The problem is the tank to be converted to a paludarium is only 14" x 8" x 10" or something near that width and height... Last night saw some minor scuffling among the 4 CFBs during feeding time liao... And these 4 are smaller than the 3 in the vivarium... ... And I have no more space for a new 2ft tank...