paddletail newt turning light?

[koala]

I got my paddletail newt a few weeks ago. In the last few days I've noticed that his tail is lightening up and there are a few little gray spots on it. There are also a few small spots on his side. Is this something that's normal?

 

[Abrahm]

Do the spots look anything like the spots on the end of this paddle-tail's tail? it may just mean that you have a male and he is getting into his breeding dress.

Alternatively it may mean that he has a fungal, parasitic or bacterial infection. Any chance that you can post a photo of these spots?

 

[koala]

It's hard to tell if this newt's spots look like his because my newt is a different color. He is black, but his spots are sort of a grayish color. I'll try to post pics as soon as possible.

 

[koala]

Ok, it turns out I can't get any pictures of it because my camera does not have a good zoom lens and it always comes out blurry. I asked a question on Yahoo answers and some one said it could be camouflage if my tank is a lighter color than the pet store one. Do you think that's true?

 

[Jennewt]

No, newts do not change color in response to the color of their environment. They do sometimes become a lighter color in response to stress. Some will just randomly fluctuate between a lighter/darker color. It may mean nothing at all.