Strange things.....

Two odd things happened tonight, I figured I'd consolidate them into one post....

1. My nvv was shedding tonight and then was trying to eat it. But after awhile, having a bit of difficulty getting it all down, he just spat the whole thing out. I've always thought newts ate their sheddings all the time....is there a reason he left this one discarded instead?

2. The same newt in question, awhile later, did this weird hunched up squat. I know someone posted about this awhile ago, but I didn't think much of it, because I'd never seen my newts do this. I've since then observed it 2 or 3 times. The newts closes his eyes, kind of puffs up his chest with his arms and elbows pulled back. He stays that was a few minutes and then goes back to normal. I can't find the old post about this. What is going on here.....is it normal?

Thanks for any insights.

1. no they dont always eat it, esp if they have trouble getting it down

2. power nap, usually only lasts more than a few seconds in my guys. perfectly normal.

i've seen the power nap thing quite often just before a shed. especially with my verrucosus.looks very weird when you first see it.

ge

I also see this hunched up squat thing in my Kweichowensis, but only after i've fed them a big worm. I assumed it was a way of keeping or pushing the worm to the stomach. Especially because they seem to blink whilst they're doing it.

blinking uses the eyes to help push down the food, the skull is adapted for this. its a good way to tell if an amphibian has made a 'hit' when flicking the tongue at food. as for the squat thing after a big worm. that is more of a compaction this. after eating a lot and wanting more many amphibs, esp toads, will close the eyes and scrunch side to side repeatedly to help compact down and make more room for more food to be eaten.

Yes Paris, im aware of this blinking thing to push down the food. I do think though that when my Kweichows hunch up and bring their front arms upward after a large meal, it's probably to settle the worm properly in the stomach and as you say, compact it down.