Hoping for eggs for Christmas

[david]

I tried out some of my Cristatus without hibernation and they seem to be doing well.

(Message edited by dln on December 22, 2003)

 

[juraj]

Crested forever !

 

[david]

No Christmas eggs yet, but some of my fire sal larvae are morphing. Neat little brats.

 

[david]

Here's baby pics

 

[david]

The Marms are getting into the act too

 

[david]

By Jove, the cristatus have started. Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas

 

[joeri]

Nice pictures Nash.
Seems like you have an entire zoo there

Good luck with your Xmas-eggs

 

[coen]

one of my marmoratus is starting to develop his crest too

 

[cataldo]

are you going to breed your marmoratus Dave?I noticed on a previous post, you had no mates for them boys.

just wondering as I'd love to share your offspring.

cataldo

 

[david]

I hope to. The male in the picture's currently in with 2 cristatus females. I have 2 tanks set up that way (hoping for triturus blassi offspring). And I have 3 female marms, (2 look good and 1 iffy) with 2 male marms (just entered the water) in a couple of seperate tanks. Hopefully they do well too. After the cristatus get done, I have to clear out that tank for triturus montodoni. If all goes well great, it's a busy season. The 2 male marms in the blassi tanks might have to pull double duty if the 2 other males don't fully crest, so hopefully they're manly newts.

 

[david]

I've got eggs starting in the blassi tank too. Hopefully they're fertile. I should start seeing signs of egg developement by New Years

 

[leonardo]

That's great David!
keep us updated!;-)

bye
Leo

PS
I think it's Triturus blasii, not T.blassi ;-)

 

[jesper]

Hi David!
That marmoratus on the picture above looks like a triturus pygmaeus(triturus marmoratus pygmaeus or whatever...)
I say this due to the bright belly, low crest and bulky bodyshape. How big is it? Do you have locality data? I am not sure just wondering..

/Jesper

 

[david]

Hi Jesper, I've got 4 males about 4 and a half to 5 inches long and they are bulky. They also have a much lower crest then my cristatus this season or my vittatus last year. The 2 female marms I'm breeding them with are about 4 inches long and just as bulky.

 

[jesper]

Well the marmoratus pygmaeus and marmoratus marmoratus subspecies(or species??) are a mess it seems...

Once again this issue confuses me, it is something between p and m in size, bodyshape of p, tailcrest of m, crest of p....
Sergé knows more..
Btw do you have belly photos?

Fine looking newts!
/Jesper

 

[david]

Needless to say, he was squirming. Hope this will do you.

 

[david]

Judging from the descriptions of the belly being lighter on the pygmaeus, these are pygmaeus. Judging from the size of pygmaeus seldom exceeding 11 centimeters, there being 4 newts at 13 centimeters, they must be marmortus or genetically altered jumbo pygmaeus. Do the 2 species cross breed or has there been any nuclear accidents reported in Europe lately?

 

[jesper]

That is clearly a fine pygmaeus belly!

 

[jesper]

Hi Dave!
Well dont say species loud! Most people here think they are subspecies of marmoratus!

I would say it is a big pygmaeus with some marmoratus blood in it

.I would say you got a crossbreed there although it looks much more like pygmaeus! The belly is so pygmaeus, I have never seen it that easily before, it matches everything!! Pinkish with a lot of white spots and only a few black ones. Very cool!

You should talk to Sergé Bogaerts, he seems to know a lot about pygmaeus.

Cheers
/Jesper

 

[david]

A quick update. The attempt to breed triturus blassi failed. The eggs weren't fertile, possibly because my marms are pygmaeus. Aside from that, my male marm seems pleased with the attempt.