Cynops? Is there a Cynops with Orange Stripe and White Body?

I recently aquired 3 Firebellys which were a little different.

Without a picture (YET) I will describe them:

*Same belly pattern/Size as the Cynops O.
*Have a Orange Stripe running down their backs
*They are white-ish color with greyish/blackish speckling
*blk eye area


Anyone know? Are these albino or a different sub species?

steve

Sound like chinese firebellies that have "gone grey". Sometimes they just turn greyish-white for periods of time, no one really knows why. Some can also can get a stripe of sorts down the back at this time. Were they in the tank with other normal looking C. orientalis?

Yes, these 3 were the only white-ish ones. The others were all blk "like normally found"

*out of 3 total, Two of them seem darker now then when I bought them "not quite the same as NORMAL BLK"; ONE is really white-ish though. (need pic)


steve

Yeah, those are just C. orientalis, and they'll likely continue to darken. It's a fairly common thing to see them whitish like that.

Also, if your newt seems to be getting white-ish and then it fades, keep in mind that they do shed skin. You may not see it or recognize it as such because it's very transparent when they remove it, and can be mistaken as one of many other waste products in the water. Note if your newts when "greyish" tend to rub up against plants or seemingly bang their heads and bodies into ornaments. If this is the case, it is likely they are shedding.

[Andy Baker]

Sarah: Do u know if axolotls can shed their skin?? because when my axolotl jumped out of my tank i put him back in and his skin was shedding(i am positive skin was coming off him(thin layers)).

All amphibians shed their skin, just some more noticeably than others.

Axolotls don't shed their skin in one go like metamorphosed salamanders - they shed little bits every now and then. Sometimes adverse water conditions can cause them to shed little bits of mucus covered skin all in one go - that's not a good sign. It usually means skin irritation of some sort and/or bad water quality.

[Andy Baker]

k she has been changed into three different tanks now anyway(as you can see in my pictures in the photo gallery). I think because her skin was so dry when she was out of the water it was a big change going back into the water so it shedded.