Black patches

S

stefanie

Guest
The black patches on my red efts aren't going away. They've had them for about 5 days now. I'm keeping the two separate and trying to keep them cool. I'm not sure if it's painful for them, or if they'll survive it. The newt that has it on it's stomach, the patch has gotten darker over the past few days, but the one with the patch on the leg has remained the same. I've tried to research what it could be but I can't find anything to help me identify what this could be. If you have any insight I'd greatly appreciate it. Their activity level and eating habits are still normal. Thanks - Stef

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Probably because your efts are growing into newts and will soon be aquatic. The black spots are all over the belly in this species adult newt stage. They are going through newt puberty.
 
So I don't need to keep them separate? I thought it was a disease and removed one of them.

If they are going through newt puberty, how long will it take before they're aquatic? I've been cycling a 10gal tank just over a week now in hopes of getting an aquatic species too, but if these guys are ready to go in, that'd be great. Should I change their environment somehow to make the transition easier? That way they don't have to go from a terrestrial set up with a water dish straight into an aquatic tank. (Especially if one morphs before the other)
 
Well... The bad leg could be some kind of limb rot or fungus so keep them seperate. The eft stage takes about 3 years until it is complete. You may try misting them or giving them a semi- terrestrial setup or just give them a large bowl of water in the exhibit that they can access easily. But they don't look quite ready for the water at the moment. Keep them seperate though and find out what that leg injury is from. Look at pics of the adults on the species list and look at their spots and other characteristics. Soon the spots will become blotches. Do as you are doing now and keep them cool.
 
Thanks for the info Cameron! The injured limb actually started as a black dot that went back to normal flesh colour, then turned into that.

They actually avoid their water dish, and I do mist the environment regularly. I haven't had these guys very long, but I'll be keeping an eye out for blotches. Thanks again.
 
I am not convinced that this has anything to do with "newt puberty". If they were changing into adults, you would see larger parotoid glands an an overall color change to a darker, greener color. There is no sign of that. They stay efts anywhere from 1-5 years, depending on conditions and locality.

In the first/second photos it looks to me like dirt or coco fiber stuck to the skin - is that possible, or is it really part of the skin? In the 3rd/4th photos, it looks abnormal but I have no idea what it could be.

In the 3rd/4th photos, this appears to be some kind of dried moss, which could be too acidic. What kind is it? Do you have a pH test kit of any kind?
 
Picture 1&2: I thought it was dirt at first too, but after many days, it has remained the same. I've tried misting it off of him, but it's there for good. Same shape, same spot, same size, but gradually darker.

The moss I have in their tank is "Zoo Med Terrarium Moss" I do not have a pH test kit. Should I just toss it and put a new piece in?

Picture 3&4: This newt seems to be getting better. The discoloured flesh has gotten lighter and almost appears to be normal. While his leg was discoloured, he was still crawling around and climbing so I don't think it was too bothersome. HOWEVER, the newt with the patch on the stomach, I've seen it arching itself up, to keep it's stomach off the ground. This was the last two days, so I thought it might be irritating. But today, regular activity has resumed, no arching. Actually, he's been really active today.

I'm wondering how long I should keep them separate? I guess until all their flesh is back to normal?

(Message edited by shorty on January 07, 2007)
 
I'm stumped as far as what the skin problems might be, sorry. Regarding the moss, I'd suggest first SOAKING some of the moss in several changes of water over a period of several days. Then replace the moss with soaked moss. Soaking should get rid of any excessive acidity.
 
this moss is not peatmoss, it is not likely to be to acidic.
 
Yes, reading the label again, it's sphagnum moss. Should I not use sphagnum moss at all? The rest of the moss in the tank is still green, I took out the brown stuff and it's now soaking. Should I be soaking all of the moss and replace it in a few days?
 
As your eft has an apparent skin abberation of unknown etiology... I would ask, why take the risk of moss contributing possible acidity to the substrate..even with soaking? My recommendation would be to eliminate the moss, thus eliminating one potential risk factor. You may want to look at Caudata Culture FAQS to find more information on terrestial set-ups.
 
What types of moss would you suggest? My guys like to dig into the moss and hide under it.
 
I would recommend ivy, either cuttings from live ivy or "silk plant" type ivy that you can buy in the pet shop or a craft/hobby shop. I also suggest real live moss, although that tends to be hit-or-miss - some types thrive in a terrarium, some die rather quickly. Live moss can be obtained outdoors, or from online pet places.

Here's a page showing several kinds of common houseplants, in addition to ivy, that can be used as cuttings for terrariums:
http://www.caudata.org/people/JM/plants.html
 
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