My L. Helveticus is close to morphing!

What are some indicators to look for to best prepare for the tiny guy to climb out onto land? I have seen him come up and gulp air 2 times in the last few days, which to me is a good sign that morphing is close. I have provided a stone that has a third of it out of water, and is relatively flat and low lying. It will be very easy to climb out on. The gills are starting to shrink, but quite slowly. How long is the normal time frame for this species to morph? It was about this big when I got him...( ------ ), now he is...( ---------- ). He has been on a varied diet of Daphnia, White-Worms, and the occassional adult Brine Shrimp. I can see a dull brownish color starting to come in and a very light line on the back. From my understanding the line turns orange/reddish. Any input is greatly appreciated, and I will check in with high hopes...

P.s. The common name is Palmate Newt http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Triturus/T_helveticus.shtml

Thanks in advance!

-jbherpin-

The reason I placed this thread here was due to the "high traffic" of this sub-forum. I know this is not a beginner question, but I thought it had a better chance being seen here rather than the Euro advanced section. Sorry if it seems out of place...

-jbherpin-

I am not sure if this helps, but this is what I noticed with my recently morphed Triturus Marmoratus. I noticed that they would gulp on occasion and hover closer to the water surface. Their gills shrunk, but not completely. Their colour changed to be more patterned. I found all of them having climbed up the sides of their box. I had lowered the water, added water weed, a smooth flat rock and sloped the box so that they had a deep and a clear end....but they still chose to climb the walls.

Thank you Julia! I will add more plants and keep you all posted on the results!

If anyone has other suggestions, please add to the topic!

-jbherpin-

Update:

He/she is still looking great, and getting fatter/longer daily it seems. A closer look at it revealed to me that the legs are still pretty thin. I don't know if they can support it's weight on land. I may not be as close as I originally thought. What is an average morph size for this species, or it's cousin the Smooth Newt (L. Vulgaris)? I believe they are very similar in this regard. However Vulgaris may be a little larger on average. What are some other food prey choices I could look into? The little one is housed alone, and has no competition for food. That may have a lot to do with the fast growth rate. Please "throw me a bone" on this one! It seems I can't get replies to anything sometimes...LOL!

-jbherpin-

The girth of the extrimities is a basic sign. If they are thin then the larvae still has quite some time ahead before morphing. The development of the colour pattern is also a very good sign.
This species morphs very tiny. Depending on individuals, and food availability, temps, etc, they may morph as small as 2cm long. Since yours has plenty to eat and no competition he most likely will be bigger, but i´d still expect a tiny morph.

Thank you so much Azhael! That was what I was looking for (2cm morph length). Should I continue to feed even when the gut is protruding and very full? Or will he not know when to stop and eat himself to death? I know adult newts do a good job of cutting themselves off, but I wasn't sure about this and didn't want my prized baby to suffer for my ignorance. Thanks again Julia and Azhael for the feedback!

I'll keep y'all posted on the development!

-jbherpin-

Update:

He is still in the water, but the head has changed shape in an obvious way. Also, he has all of his pigment and pattern now. The gills are slowly shrinking up. How many days should I expect him to NOT feed post morphing?

-jbherpin-

There´s no definite answer to that. It may eat right away or it may not touch anything for a couple of weeks(i´ve had C.orientalis morphs eat from the tweezers the very same day they morphed). Just make sure it has the option.

Thanks again Azhael! You are a treasure trove of knowledge! I wish the "CC" page had care info, but the pics are nice!

-jbherpin-

Update:

My little guy morphed out last night approx. 2AM! I came home to find him at the surface floating with only gill nubs! Less than an hour later I saw him climing the tilted end's sides and onto river rocks, etc.! I can't wait to be able to post pics!

-jbherpin-