Unusual N.v.v. behaviour

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone else has witnessed this behaviour in their newts and, if so, if it has a name? After eating their shed skin or having a fairly large meal, I often notice my newts close their eyes, distend their throats, and flex their limbs. They "hang" in place in the water, remaining motionless. Usually this only lasts for about 1 minute, then they open their eyes and return to normal. I've seen this numerous times in my aquatic adults and also in my terrestrial efts. I've not managed to get many good photos of it but below are 2 involving my adult male. One from a year ago and another from a few weeks back. I thought it was interesting and have not seen photos of this before. Thanks!

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Liam.

Never seen this in my Cynops Orientalis. It looks very funny. I hope it s a normal behaviour and they are healthy.

My T. grans do something a little bit like this, but yours is way more pronounced. Mine crawl up onto their corkbark, stick their heads straight up, close their eyes, and move their throat in and out like a frog. Sometimes they do it in the water without sticking their head up. Rarely does the throat stay out like that though, it's normally moving. This is pretty interesting!

Hi Liam, I'm not sure what you would call this position either. It occurs normally after feeding, especially when live food is used. I assume that it aids digestion. Frogs use their eyeballs to help swallow and I so I suspect that the eyes closed and arms up posture somehow either keeps the live food down or helps move the food into the stomach. It's perfectly normal - I've tried to get photos before but by the time I've got the camera out it's all over!

Nice photos Liam.

I remember there was a good picture of a p. waltl with the front limbs folded back. It seems to be normal, yet odd. I've seen my T. marmoratus do it from time to time.

Here is the thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/cgi-bin/show.cgi?tpc=985&post=13818#POST13818

Hi There,

Thanks for all the responses! I had also thought, similarly to Mark, that it was perhaps a method of keeping the food down (when a reasonably large/live "meal" has been consumed). I'd never heard it mentioned before though, which I thought unusual, or seen a photo. I did have a wee search but it was rather tough without knowing what it was called! Thanks for the link Pin-pin - hadn't seen that post!

They're the only 2 decent photos i've managed to get, really - as Mark said, it's over pretty quickly. You've got to be there at the right time. I'll just post a few other photos as well - same animal again. In these though, he's on land enjoying a nap! (Also 1 when he's awake - he's not always dozing off ).

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Thanks again!

Liam.