Great eating behavior from Paddletail

My female was fed her whole nightcrawler today and I witnessed something I never saw them do before. I never feed her chopped crawlers because she has no interest in them. She usually brings it to her hide to eat but today she stayed out and ate it on the river rocks. As she was slowly eating, the other half of the worm stuck itself between the rocks. She tried pulling it out but after two yanks she took a different course of action. She stood on her head and spun. She reminded me of a drill. It was an amazing sight! And, she got the whole worm! Now, I wonder if this is how all wild paddletails get their food out of a tough spot. I never use the word "awesome" but I have to say it really was totally awesome!

On another note, the same female and her male counterpart have ben inseparable as of late. They have been sharing hides (very weird for these two) and exploring together. There has also been a lot of tail fanning but no aggressing. While she ate he backed off until she was done.

Is there a full moon tonight? Because these two are really acting strange but in a cute way.

Can't say I've ever seen this behavior in any of the aquatic newts, but my caecilians 'death roll' all the time, especially if two grab opposite ends of the same worm.

I've seen Triturus karelinii do this. Feeding them worms above java moss often means the worm manages to get itself entangled and the newts will thrash and roll to get it free. They will also deathroll if two grab the same worm or sometimes if one newt grabs the leg/tail of the other(I've heard of some pretty serious feeding accidents but so far no injuries).

Sorry, I should have said "no aggression" not "aggressing".

I don't have to worry about them fighting over a worm because he absolutely, positively hates night crawlers and would rather eat a trout worm. She is the total opposite. Actually, both my males will only take trout worms.

I have seen my girl deathroll, but never in the way you described!

She is amazing when it comes to eating. A very aggressive girl and no one dares to get in her way.

keechoo said:

She is amazing when it comes to eating. A very aggressive girl and no one dares to get in her way.

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Hi Nicole, good news from your newt, and how was he's name, popito? and a new tankmate, i really want to know, if the food you are mentioning, the crawlers, what are them? how can i get them?
i use the cubic worms, mmm, blood worm, and some times i buy some not so good looking gupies, so they can hunt a while, and thats the other question i have.
In theory, a dog or a cat, need to go someplace to activate their natural instinct, and hunt something, for example a dog, cathes a freezbee, or a cat hunts little snakes and mice, but i have two paddletails, and they need to hunt something, and little gupies for me are excelent, i may get some not cool coloured gupies, or the excedent from my reproduction cycle in my aquarium, ok, so, it is a good idea?

Another thing, i dont have any platform or surface to simulate a land portion, I will get it, but the comment from your observation in the time to eat is to place some food in there?
take care
EO