Voracious fighting newts?

I love the Spanish ribbed newts now that we've all settled in. But, OMG, do they ever stop eating?!

2 questions:

1. Should I just keep throwing the food in or should I let them go hungry now & then?

2. They've been doing a lot of posturing with each other--I mean they approach each other sometimes like cowboys getting ready for a shoot-out. I'm guessing it's mostly about food. I try spacing the food out at both ends of the "feeding beach" but they tend to strut over to each other anyway. A nose to nose stare-down even ended with one grabbing the other's snout. They broke up and I didn't see any sign of injury. Can they do damage to each other? Is this unusual? I don't think there's any danger of one eating the other as they are similar in size (see picture in my thread Sex My New Ribbed Newts), though one does have a massive head).

Anyway, they're fascinating. Thanks for any input, advice, stories.

Katharine

I don't think they're posturing. Here's what happens:

Newts have pretty poor eyesight, but they can see movement really well. So each newt sees something moving on the other side of the beach. They both approach. Carefully, because this thing might be good to eat or maybe dangerous. Once they get up close enough to smell, i.e. touching noses, they realize it's another newt. Most then decide this thing is not for eating. But they're also pretty dumb, so some newts will still give it a try and see if they can fit that other newt in their mouths.

Hold worms with your hand or tongs right in front them... feed one at a time. They'll learn to follow your hand. My adult eats whole babycrawlersm only problem would be if several went after it. That way you can make sure they are all getting enough food to and theres nothing to fight over... best of luck

Keep throwing the food in till they have enough, they are total pigs and half the fun of owning them is watching them beat each other up. The good news is that they are very resistant to damage when they are adults and dont seem to do much damage to each other, my main concern would be that they tie them selves up in plants and drown when they are trying to crocadile roll each others legs off.

I use tweezers to feed all of my newts, but I specially need them for these guys. Still they indeed seem resistant to eachothter's biting and snapping, unlike species like T.dobrogicus. They can certainly rip eachother's legs off.

Thanks, everybody!

I'm feeding them with long tongs now. They caught on immediately! I have to sneak up when they're separate, quickly slip a worm to one and then zip over to get the next worm waiting on reserve and dangle it before newt #2 before it dashes over to see what #1 is doing. And continue. I've learned to pluck group of red worms from their bedding and rinse them ahead of time so I can keep up the tempo.
In spite of this, sometimes when the newts see me, they both come to the side and shoulder each other like kids at an ice cream truck. Then they'll turn and go nose to nose, pushing back and forth like a scrum in rugby. Then one will grab the other's nose in its mouth and there will be a flurry of tail lashings and then they're both looking at me again.

Sometimes I wonder whether, if they keep eating like this, I'll wake one night and see them grown to the size of crocodiles, come lumbering and dripping into my room, looking straight at me.

That's a scary thought. This thread always cheers me up, even the title makes me chuckle for some reason, I think I'd like some Ribbed newts when I have space!

Mine have tripled in size since I got them a month ago. They seem to like eating each others toes as a nutritional supplement, good job they grow back. Just caught this one a minute ago beginning to shed yet another skin, going for the "hoodie" look. When you are ready Chinadog I have over 50 larvae that I am growing on.

I would really love to get some but there is just no room! I have an 80 gallon corner tank in the lounge that I'm planning to keep either P. waltl or T. verrucosus in. I might be deciding and planning for a long time though, my 20 odd year old pleco lives there and I've heard they can live a lot longer than that...