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Colour change in Pelurodeles waltl

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newtonia

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I'm a new newt owner and new to this site, which is fabulous, btw!

I adopted a Spanish ribbed newt about six weeks ago. Over the last two or three weeks he has changed colour quite dramatically - from a pleasing tan and black splotched pattern to an almost uniform black.


Should I be worried? He seems healthy and active, and is eating with great appetite.
His environment has changed in that he is now being kept at a cooler temperature in his new home (down from a permanent 26°C to about 20°C), and that his tank now has lights that are on during daytime - could pigmentation change be due to more light?


I'd be grateful for any info or ideas you might have about this, or pointers to threads where this question may already have been discussed.
Thanks in advance.
 
CherryBlossom

CherryBlossom

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Hi and welcome :)

I read somethin on here once where a couple of members had noticed their Pleurodeles waltls were getting paler. I think they thought that happened when they were less active than normal:

danny said:
Joeri, Ive noticed that my waltls change colour also. First thing in the morning they are very pale, almost sick looking to human standards, and once they start to get active they start to get really dark again.
Click to expand...
on this thread: ---> http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...eurodeles/42443-hw-pleurodeles-nebulosus.html

not sure if this applies to yours though?
 
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newtonia

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THanks for the link cherry blossom. Glad to hear that this is a known phenomenon in th egenus Pleurodeles.

I've done some more research and think the darkening may be an increased release of Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone:

MSH is especially important in the regulation of melanin synthesis in cells called melanophores (a type of chromatophore) that are in the skin of amphibians, some fishes, and reptiles. Light reflected from a water surface stimulates photoreceptors, which send information to the brain and in turn to thehypothalamus.
Pituitary MSH then causes the pigment in the melanophores to disperse and the skin to darken, sometimes quite dramatically. By releasing more or less MSH, the animal is able to adapt its colouring to its background.(britannica.com)

Since his colour change he does blend in very well with his favourite hangout spot, the aquarium filter. :)
 
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donia

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Hello!

A couple of mine change colour also. They were very pale when I got them, but now they are much darker. They do sometimes lighten, but not very much anymore. These two are younger than my other two, which are always very dark and never seem to change colour. Maybe it's an age thing?

I also wondered if it was anything to do with the colour of their environment (a bit like some shrimp that will change colour to be better camouflaged.........).

Not 100% sure on why, but I don't think it's anything to worry about!
 
CherryBlossom

CherryBlossom

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aaah yes donia...when I red up on the species it did say that the juvies are a lot paler than the adults xxxx
 
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Hi Newtonia,

I noticed a color change in my P.waltl once as well. It was like you said - the blotchy-grey pattern changed to a dark, uniform black. In "my" case (or the waltl´s, anyway;) ) it turned out to be a skin shedding problem. A few weeks later, the newt was able to shed it´s skin in large tatters. I am not sure what actually caused the problem - I guess, generally speaking, the right temperatures and a well-balanced diet should prevent such shedding problems. But sometimes, it happens just like that, you never know.

If you like, you can post a picture, so that I can have a look if your black newt resembles mine =).

Laura
 
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