Species ID?

Hey all,

So I've never actually gotten this guy ID'ed. I've been wanting to say he's a firebelly, but I'm just not sure... I cannot tell from his belly. This is the one where his two hind legs are non-functional - he was living in horrible conditions before I took him in. Looking at his skin, I'm not sure if he's in the greatest of health either. He seems to be chugging along though. According to the previous owner, she had him for a couple years and her daughter had him for at least a couple years more, so I think he might just be aged a bit. Anyway, here are some pics:

That´s a Cynops pyrrhogaster(probably sasayamae), but it´s in quite a bad shape...try to fatten it up.

azhael said:

That´s a Cynops pyrrhogaster(probably sasayamae), but it´s in quite a bad shape...try to fatten it up.

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Thanks for the tip. I'll try to feed it a bit more. It's real picky about how much it'll eat and also the water temps as well as water flow (from the filter) seem to stress it out at times. I tried feeding it nightcrawlers at one point and it ate maybe 1 out of 4 pieces that I cut up for it.

BTW: what exactly is "sasayama?"

The poor thing is, as i said, in a pretty bad state. Be patient, and try not to stress it(don´t handle it, or disturb it). The filter might not be a good idea. As you have seen, they don´t like currents. You can substitute the filter with a lot of live plants, which incidentally this species loves.
Keep it cool, as high temps will stress it out, weaken it´s inmune system, and consume its low reserves even further.
Try to offer different foods, although earthworms are the best. Waxworms will come in handy now, since they are rich in fat and will help build up its reserves.

BTW: are these two Chinese Firebellies then?






I'll be picking them up later today... is it possible to house them together with the Japenese Firebelly, at least temporarily?

azhael said:

The poor thing is, as i said, in a pretty bad state. Be patient, and try not to stress it(don´t handle it, or disturb it). The filter might not be a good idea. As you have seen, they don´t like currents. You can substitute the filter with a lot of live plants, which incidentally this species loves.
Keep it cool, as high temps will stress it out, weaken it´s inmune system, and consume its low reserves even further.
Try to offer different foods, although earthworms are the best. Waxworms will come in handy now, since they are rich in fat and will help build up its reserves.

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Thanks for the tips. I'll try to see if I can pickup a cheap plastic tank to put the other guys in. And I'll try to get more live plants. BTW: I don't have much of a substrate in the guy's tank. I was thinking about maybe getting some small clay pots from Home Depot and putting some live plants in them and then placing them in the tank. Is there a specific soil/substrate I should buy if I go this route?
I'll see about lowering the temps too. This one is a bit more of a challenge to care for. I may have to move him either into my room or to a cooler part of the house anyway.

What about mealworms? I'm not sure if any of my nearby pet stores have waxworms. I'll have to check.

I would try bait shops for wax worms if no pet stores locally have them. Meal worms are very thick skinned and not recomended. Their mouthparts are dangerous as well. I would avoid them, unless you have the patience to wait for a molting and cut the head off. Also, whole garden worms are very good at bouncing back a deprived critter. Azhael, is right, wax worms will provide a great fatty cushion from which the appetite will surely return, and the newt will bounce back quickly.
I would also advise against species mixing all together. Although they are both cynops, both most likely came from very different places, aggression, parasites, over-dominance in feeding all play a negative role in a mixed enclosure.
Please keep us informed on the results!

-jbherpin-

jplee3 said:

BTW: what exactly is "sasayama?"

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There are several "races" of C.pyrrhogaster. Sasayamae is one of them.

I second Justin on that it isn't a good idea to house the C.orientalis with the pyrrhogaster. Especially considering the shape the pyrrhogaster is in. Like said above, routine feedings of chopped earthworm and perhaps some waxworms should bring him back into good health. I'd even start feeding the orientalis the same diet, they don't look too great either.

A bare-bottom tank is fine for your newts, so you don't really need to worry about a substrate. In fact, I wouldn't worry about it at all until the newts are healthy again.

These links may come in handy:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_pyrrhogaster.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_orientalis.shtml

Good Luck!

Nathan050793 said:

There are several "races" of C.pyrrhogaster. Sasayamae is one of them.

I second Justin on that it isn't a good idea to house the C.orientalis with the pyrrhogaster. Especially considering the shape the pyrrhogaster is in. Like said above, routine feedings of chopped earthworm and perhaps some waxworms should bring him back into good health. I'd even start feeding the orientalis the same diet, they don't look too great either.

A bare-bottom tank is fine for your newts, so you don't really need to worry about a substrate. In fact, I wouldn't worry about it at all until the newts are healthy again.

These links may come in handy:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_pyrrhogaster.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_orientalis.shtml

Good Luck!

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Thanks guys!

I'll try to keep it simple with both species. I feel so bad for the CP because of his condition as well as the fact that his hind legs are not functioning. Others were saying they think it's an issue with the nerves or something along that line, and that he probably can't be fixed

I think I'd be pretty depressed if I didn't have the P. Waltls to keep me goin - those guys are hilarious.

If you provide excelent conditions(right temps, cycled aquarium, plenty of live plants and as little stress as possible) it has a fair chance of bouncing back to health.
I would consider water quality as a very important factor now...because fluctuations of amonia, nitrites, etc, will cause stress and contribute to the weakening of the animal, so try to avoid putting them in small, uncycled tanks.