Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Pollywog]

Marbled Newts (Triturus marmoratus)



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Andrew Tillson-Willis
Pollywog
www.pollywog.co.uk
sales@pollywog.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

Hello

Nice Marbled's. I have two marbled's quite young they seem to be quite slow growing. I assume this is usual for them?

They still both have the orange vertebral line, at what age does the line dissapear in the male, until this happens I will not know if I have a pair.

The larger of the two has pronounced bulges either side of the body just forward of the rear legs. The newt is acting OK so I don't think anything is wrong. Perhaps it's just fat? The bulges though are just restricted to this area. Any ideas please?



Cheers Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Pollywog]

Triturus do seam to be quite slow growing on the whole, marmoratus reach sexual maturity in 2-4 years in captivity.
The vertabral stripe on males changes as he reaches sexual maturity it doesn't dissapear as such, you will see that when he becomes sexually mature & comes into breeding dress the stripe becomes a smooth crest, when not crested up it apears as a yellow and black banded line.
The bulges in the lower abdominal area are quite normal, out of interest how old are they?
_________________
Andrew Tillson-Willis
Pollywog
www.pollywog.co.uk
sales@pollywog.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

Thank you for the info Andrew

I got the Marbleds when they were quite young, the guy in the shop could not give an age, but they were both very small. They are now, nose to end of tail approx: Largest 8cm's, tail 4cm's body 4cm's, smaller of the two: 6cm's, 3cm's tail, 3cm's body. Approx measurements. I house them in with my fire bellied toads, they all get on fine and do not exhibit any problems.

When the newts were smaller I had to remove them as the toads were eyeing them up for a meal! Now they are bigger I reintroduced them and they really do cohabit without any problem.

I have seen the newts sitting on top of the toads at times, the toads just sitting there! Not bothered at all. They all live in a 4ft tank 50/50 semi aquatic set up. plants, large cave for them to hide in etc. Often the newts will share the cave with the toads.

A couple of the toads need to go on a serious diet, they look as they will explode, all of them are quite rotund, but these two are as broad as they are long. The toads were very young when I got them, and all were quite thin, some you could see the bones in the back, not sure if they should have been this thin when I got them, but they are all healthy now. One also had a milky eye. I kept him in isolation and after about 4/5 weeks his eye was as it should be, he now lives happily with the rest.

They are all great to watch.

Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk