In praise of the alpine newt

[morg]

I have just been watching my Italian alpine newt males tail fanning and chasing the females around.
Out of all the newts people keep including the much more expensive and hard to get hold of species , I reckon the beauty of an adult male alpine in full breeding dress is hard to beat

 

[Stupot1610]

I completely agree, they are a fantastic species - probably my favourite. I think I may have to get myself some italian alpines, they look even more spectacular than the French ones I already keep!

Stuart

 

[Chinadog]

I couldn't agree more, the ones you have are huge to boot which makes them even more impressive!

 

[Davo]

I was watching mine earlier today, i could not agree more, they are stunning and easy to keep! :rofl:

 

[Azhael]

I've been obsessed with the species since i was a kid, saw them on books and couldn't believe that extraordinary and surreal little thing lived around me. I look forward to keeping them again some day, they are a fantastic species and i remember seeing my first male in full breeding dress and being absolutely blown away.
Then again, i feel similarly about L.helveticus xDD

 

[Davo]

My male alpine(apuanus) is looking awesome! :happy: Taken today.

 

[Davo]

My alpines today.

 

[Stupot1610]

You wouldn't believe how much I'm trying not to be jealous right now....

 

[Chinadog]

My Alpine newts are just maturing and cresting up for the first time, out of all the herps I have the Alpines get the most comments from visitors to our house.

 

[Davo]

They take some beating! :happy: I just added 7 more that i reared last year to my group, i had them up for sale and nobody wanted them, so glad they did not go as they are so colourful.

Their bellies are almost red.

 

[Chinadog]

Their bellies are almost red.

That's something I'm working on. They were raised on daphnia and brine shrimp, but their bellies are still only pale orange. I use Hikari Chichlid pellets to colour my baby Cynops, so I'm trying to gut load their earthworms with it at the moment.
With hindsight, I should have moved them to a more terrestrial sef up after they morphed, that way they could have had their food dusted with the powdered pellets like I do for the baby firebellies.

 

[Stupot1610]

I think apuanus tend to have a more yellowish belly don't they?

 

[Davo]

Depends on how they are reared, last years juvs are not far off red, the year before the juvies were more yellow.

I have set up more daphnia tubs and more daphnia = redder colour.

A lot of frozen food and whiteworms = yellow colour

I will get some photos up tomorrow.

 

[Stupot1610]

I just got some inexpectatus adults, they are stunning. They are also neotenic and huge, the female is probably 13 or 14cm and the male isn't far behind. I can just sit and watch them for hours.

 

[Davo]

One of my alpine juvie yearlings taken last night, love the reflection in the plastic.

 

[Chinadog]

Lovely colours on that one! I wasn't going to raise any Alpines this season, but being as though a friend twisted my arm into letting him take most of my adult colony I have some spare tank space. I should have enough Daphnia to get them as far as morphing, then I will let them leave the water and try the powdered Cichlid gold dusted onto their worms that's worked so well turning my baby pyrrhos bellies red

 

[Davo]

I just put them in my daphnia tubs once they hatch, they are a lovely coloured newt and the daphnia colours up the bellies nice and bright. Got loads of eggs from the parents to these if you want to rear some, could send you 30 for free if you want some. :happy:

 

[Chinadog]

Cheers, sounds good! pm sent.

 

[Darradar]

Lol Ben would I be 'that friend' by chance...
They are doing just fine as you see....
I absolutely adore them ??

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chinadog]

Lol Ben would I be 'that friend' by chance...

...yes.

I knew they would be looked after at yours.