Do newts eat the skin they shed?

J

jamie

Guest
Ok, this morning I believe i caught my california newt shedding, he was acting all crazy scratching his back on the ground and swimming upside down, and then i saw this dark, sheer string type thing hanging off him. So i tried to help him out a little by tugging on it for him, but he was eating it! So i pulled it out of his mouth. Are they supposed to eat it? Or is he just weird?
 
My Triturus species regularly eat their shed skin,it's all normal so nothing to worry about.
Damian
 
All species generally eat their own skins - waste not, want not. They don't always do it though - I suppose it's a mood thing.
 
Do you think it's ok that i pulled some of it out of his mouth, i just didn't know...i'm guessing that they dont need to eat it, i guess i'll just let him next time
 
The first time I saw my pleuro do it, it was hilarious, the skin had retained the shape of the legs and fingers and it looked like he had a saran wrap newt in his mouth.
lol.gif
 
With my paramesotritrons, if they dont eat their own skins, another is sure to find it!

AJfr0ggy
 
There's a very tidy way that some newts and salamanders eat their skin- they rub the skin down from their head to their waist, leaving a neat roll of skin around the body. Then they reach right round, grab the roll in their mouth, and pull it off their hind legs and tail.

I've seen this in terrestrial smooth newts (but not aquatic ones), and I've read of it happening in fire salamanders. I'm not sure of the skin-shedding habits of other species...
 
my chinese fire belly newt does it very neatly he is so posh lol
 
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