Help. Tylototriton shanjing freshly morphed juveniles.

are you sure than, that you don't have a light form or shanjing-like T. verrucosus?

As catfish dude wished, i'm uploading pictures of Tylototriton verrucosus from Breslau/Wrocław Zoo in Poland. They were named as "Tylototriton shanjing" but i see that many retards work there cuz they keep axolotls with tigers (named as "tiger axolotl - ambystoma tigrinum") in tank filled with water and pothos so tigers cant get entirely out of water!

That's a beautiful setup Janusz!

I have noticed that your shanjings (Dawn) are kept with a excess of moister I guess my group is kept really dry with only one zone being slightly more humid not even close to your setup. I guess mine and Joost shanjings are from same breeder and these genetic lines may like many more "dry" setups.
And you shanjings could be off course contaminated with T.verrucosus trough some "ancient parent of them" and by that reason love water better than these. I was always told that these were really water fobia newts at all stages of life (except larvae)
My setup looks very very similar to Joost´s and they seem well.

How much water do you have in your tank?

Here are pics of my animals.
1. T. verr larva
2. T. verr larva
3. T. verr morph
4. T. shanjing morphs

Lusiwarrior said:

It's funny that I also seemed to be T.verrucosus, but as I have little experience with this genus not want to risk to say something!
otterwoman are you sure that your newts do well in a setup so humid? I heard that should be dry with only a small pool or a more humid!

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I do not usually talk about coincidence!

Hello All,

Just to add to the discussion, Dawn got her T shanjing from me. They are in fact T. shanjing. As a courtsey Ronald Nussbaum verified by. There are a number of vouchers from my group in the museum collecion. Dr. Nussbaum was the primary author of the taxomic review of verrucosus ( ''A taxonomic review of Tylototriton verrucosus Anderson (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae).'' Herpetologica, 51(3), 257-268.) As for how they are being kept, I am also using the protocol developed by the Detroit Zoo who was one of the first to produce this species in captivity. The T. shanjing, is not as terrestiral as some think and I keep my breeding group semi aquatic. It allows me to flood the environment to encourage breeding. I have posted some pics on the Tylotriton forum. Hope this help clear any confusion.

All the best!

Dave

otterwoman said:

I don't agree. I was having trouble keeping them alive and I consulted with the person that bred them, and he advised me to keep them like that. They are doing great now.

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I raised about 100 T. shanjing this season, and it is not uncommon for new morphs to not eat. I have some that take 3 or more weeks after morphing to eat. Not that it helps those who don't have access to them, but I start them on blackworms. I also use pinhead crickets, white worms, compost worms, wax worms, and small molted mealworms. I have found feeding at night help. I also keep mine moist and in the upper 60's and even lower 70's. Warmer temps improves appetite. With blackworms I use a piece of damp paper towel in place worm on it. newts forage at night and eat them. Again if you don't have access the other foods will work. If they are too dry they will not eat. If you do keep them wet make sure the cover is vented though.

Hope this helps with multiple posts.

Dave

Lusiwarrior said:

Hello catfish dude,
I have mine, which are more or less the same size as yours, two weeks ago and have not eaten anything at all! I have them in a small plastic box with paper towel, moss and some caches! The problem here is that the night temperatures are 5 º C and day 13 ° C to 15 º c. He is very lethargic but their metabolism is active, which causes me to lose weight is, I do not know what to do too!
Joost by chance do not know how I can do to increase the temperature inside the box, so that they are again active and they eat?
tanks

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Thanks for clearing this up newtguyDave. But it seems that there are also different formes of shanjing

Or you've got the 'shanjing-like' variant of verrucosus (based on the fact they are much more aquatic)

Can you add some pics of your adults?

on this link there are a few pics of verrucosus and shanjing
T. shanjing is not a species anymore

I will but some pics up soon, but understand that the taxonomist who decribed the new species varied my individuals and those from the original group are in the University of Michigan Museum.

When I much more aquatic, this is a relative statement. When in deep water they are goofy and could drowned. I keep them in a couple of inches of water and plenty of land areas. lI also have it heavily planted to heIp with egg deposition and security. have it set up this way to allow for flooding. If there is a place on here I can upload the Stud book the Detroit Zoo developed for this species which includes husbandry info. In the mean time here is a link. http://library.sandiegozoo.org/studbooks/reptiles/emperornewt2002.pdf

Joost said:

Or you've got the 'shanjing-like' variant of verrucosus (based on the fact they are much more aquatic)

Can you add some pics of your adults?

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Thanks for the advice newtguyDave! They told me that they would eat fruit flies and their larvae, but not even catch them! However the food they have available and also, as are the earthworms, larvae of Calliphora vomitoria and frozen bloodworms. Unfortunately I lost my colony of white worms! Does that give them frozen white worms that they take them? Already got about two weeks and have not eaten anything, I start to worry!

Hello,

Lusiwarrior could you provide more information about setup you keep your shanjing in?
Not eating may be of course normal thing as Dave mentioned but also wrong habitat may cause lack of appetite. I'm new to keeping caudates however that's how it works with every animals so providing more information will definitely help if something is really not right.
Also low temperatures won't help for sure and you mentioned that you sometimes keep them in 5C.

Back to my things .

I've raised water level significantly (it is now about 1.5cm) and remove paper towel. I put in aquarium lots of flat rocks so my verrucosus could climb on them when they decide not to be aquatic .

Few observations:

Specimen 1 and 2 (they are bigger than other 2) spend most of their time submerged and eat nicely. They have followed my hand like crazy to get food. They will be allright for sure.
I'm little worried about other two, smaller specimens since they are just sitting on land in the same place for about 24 hours now and not moving a lot. They are also not interested in food at all.

Two bigger ones have no gill remains and are probably fully morphed however two smaller ones still have some gill remains.

I understand that they need land fase where they won't eat and just wait untill gills completly disappear, am I right?

Thanks!
P.S.
Photos which Yahilles posted are of parents of my animals so we are probably 100% sure that I have verrucosus not shanjing, right?

Hi catfish dude,
my settings although a little smaller is similar to those posted by joost!
When I spoke at 5 º c I was referring to the temperature during the night, because in the configuration will certainly be higher. However now I am during the day with the temperature at 17 º c, which is a bit far from 22 º c joost said that they are the ideal!
Returning to your things If your newts are descendants of those then there is no doubt that are T.verrucosus! You have to go teach the zoo keepers! :lol: The water configuration is fine, is similar to what I have to 2 M.a.alpestris juveniles. This consists of 4 cm of water and some rocks covered with java moss! However for your T.verrucosus, as they have different characteristics, could a small box filled with peat, moss and some instead of stones, but always could use the stones to link the dry area to the water! As the newts do not eat is likely that what you said!

Hey,

little update. I've raised water level to few centimetes. My animals are living like this for about 2 weeks now. I must say that they prefer staying on land than swimming in water.
Even if they get into the water (for example during feeding) they are trying to get out as fast as possible (usually few second after they done eating).

3 specimens are eating nicely however smaller one hasn't eat anything yet. It can sit in one place for days. Last time I thought it has passed away however after putting it to the water it has started to move and come back to live again.

What should I do? Should I change setup to terrestial with small body of shallow water?

Regards.

Hello,

well today last fourth specimen I was so worried about has started eating! I'm really happy because I was almost sure that it will die due to starvation. Well I guess it just needed more time to settle down nicely. It ate 2 bloodworms (bigger versions) and was pretty active so I have high hopes.

I left this setup like it was before. 3 cm of water and some rocks as a dry land. If everything will be ok in next week I will try to set up a more natural looking terrarium .

Thanks everybody for help! You probably saved those animals

Regards.