Illness/Sickness: Worms sticking out of anus? Also, fighting!

Last night I adopted a male and female pair of Chinese Fire Belly Newts off Craigslist. They have settled in good and are very active. Last night I was even able to get them to eat some live tubifex worms that the previous owners gave me.

This morning I was horrified to find what looks like worms sticking out of the males anus! Also, he has become quite aggressive towards the female. He keeps stalking and biting her. It's a pretty ferocious bite too, he shakes his head back and forth when his mouth makes contact. The female seems very agitated by. I'm not sure if this is a breeding behavior or what.

Currently they are in a 10 gallon with 5 1/2 inches of water. The temp is 68 F. I plan on raising the water level after I purchase a floating turtle dock later today. For now I have some stacked rocks for them to climb on and out of water if they desire.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Pictures are below.

Those aren´t chinese firebellies (Hypselotriton orientalis), those are paddletails (most likely Pachytriton granulosus).
The "worms" are in fact papillae, pheromone producing structures that appear when males are in breeding condition.

The biting is serious stuff. This species is territorial and aggressive. Sometimes, if sufficient space (10 gallons is not even close) and visual barriers are available and provided that the two newts happen to tolerate each other, peaceful cohabitation is possible. Other times they will simply refuse to share the same space and the aggression can lead to very serious injuries and even death. They can be very vicious.
The kind of aggression you describe is something to be taken seriously. Separate them ASAP.
The courtship of this species doesn´t involve biting as far as i know. There can be some nudging but what you describe is without a doubt, territorial behaviour.
This species is exclusively aquatic. If an animal should go on land, it´s a sure sign of severe stress. This only happens when an animal is ill or very seriously harassed. Other than in such circumstances, they will never abandon the water. They are stream specialists, so make sure to provide a decent current and plenty of hides.


Check this caresheet (ignore the species names, they are a bit outdated):
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Pachytriton/Pachytriton.shtml

Thank you for the quick reply! I cannot believe they aren't CFBNs... that is what I've been researching for the past few days. Wonderful! :uhoh:

You are definitely right though, they are Paddletails. I already separated them. The tank they were previously in was a 20 gallon tall. The old owners gave it to me. They didn't mention them ever fighting, so I'm guessing the problem is the 10 gallon I had them in. Is a 20 tall better than a 20 long since they are fully aquatic? I have a 20 tall, just need to buy a stand.

I'm very relieved that the male isn't ill. It does look weird though, haha.

Sadly, it´s very common for people to confuse several species under the term "firebelly". That´s why scientific names are so much better
Since they are territorial, being in a new environment may have triggered aggression because of the "destruction" of their territories. If you try keeping them together in the 20gallon, offer several hides, plenty of visual barriers and monitor them closely.
Surface area is preferable as it offers greater potential for defined, and yet sufficient, territories.

It does look sort of weird, hehe, but it´s a good sign. Breeding condition is usually inhibited in stressed animals, so the fact that he is in condition could mean he is fairly healthy.