How to tell the difference between fire belly juveniles?

[Zac]

No links to this online, so I thought this was the best place to ask.

Cheers
Zac

 

[dipsydoodle]

When you say difference I assume you mean male/female, as opposed to difference between species? or is it the other way around? (or in fact something different).

 

[Zac]

Woops, I meant species.

 

[Azhael]

Which species do you want to distinguish?
Certain subspecies of C.pyrrhogaster can be tricky and look like C.orientalis, but the rest are fairly easy to distinguish.

 

[Zac]

Nothing in particular. What's odd about my juvenile is that his tail is pointy like a Jap, gravely skin, rather big at 4.8 or so cm, not hydrophobic and doesn't have a sought of fin shaped tail like adult C. Orientalis. His tail is shaped like a fruit knife but he doesn't have an orange stripe down his back. Any help would be nice

Cheers
Zac

 

[dipsydoodle]

Can you get a picture?

Were you sold the newt as a juvinile or did you rear him? (I was going to say grow him lol).

 

[Zac]

Can you get a picture?

Were you sold the newt as a juvinile or did you rear him? (I was going to say grow him lol).

haha, he was sold as a juvenile. I'm still looking for my camera so I'll get back to you on that one mate.

 

[dipsydoodle]

At that size I'd guess he isn't a juvinile.

My newts (of the same species) have slightly different shaped tails, so it could be perfectly normal.

 

[Azhael]

Only adult male C.orientalis have a rounded tipped tail.
If your newt has a pointy tail then it is either a female or still a juvenile.

 

[Zac]

Cool, thanks for the info.

But while I'm here, would it now be a good idea to give him a fully aquatic setup? Also, how long does a newt stay out of the water when stressed?

 

[dipsydoodle]

What kind of environment are you keeping him in at the moment? I'd maybe try for semi-aquatic (with some land mass) so he can choose where he wants to go.

 

[Zac]

What kind of environment are you keeping him in at the moment? I'd maybe try for semi-aquatic (with some land mass) so he can choose where he wants to go.

I'm keeping him in a small 3 or 4 gallon tank with 7 and a half cm of water with big bunches of java moss and some elodea. I put a small rock in the middle of the tank which doesn't submerge out of the water, so the newt can sit on the rock while still half of his body is in water.

This has helped encouraged him to go to the water. I'm thinking about raising the water level but I don't want to piss him off.

Cheers,
Zac