Shanjing feeding puzzle

[gord]

Hey all:

My newts have been in their new digs for 19 days as of today. They seem to be happy there, and are both looking alert and healthy. But I still have some concerns.

When I first got these newts, back in the summer, they were pretty decent eaters.After a month they practically knocked each other over to get to the front of the tank when I approached. They ate everything in sight.

Then winter came. They both got sick, likely due to conditions in their cage. Refer to the bloat in shanjing and shanjing worries threads for all the gory details.

Anyway...both newts are quite different since the "holiday health crisis". They are rather shy, and not great feeders. They often seem to ignore worms wiggling inches from their nose. The largest one will go to inspect and then turn away. I don't have a wide variety of food for them, but they never turned down earthworms before. They pretty much always ignored crickets. They are still a good weight and it is a bit cooler in their tank then summer temps. Plus, they are in a very different, much larger environment. They both have fed on occasion,and show some general interest in food,which is obviously a good thing.

But does anybody have any ideas about getting these guys back to feeding mode? Or should I just wait them out?

Any input or other experiences welcomed as usual.

Gord

 

[foster]

Gord,
Your experience sounds very similiar to mine in regards to shanjing feeding behavior. Initially mine would climb up the sides of the quarantine enclosures in order to get a bite of food however now they are much less active, especially in winter. As long as they appear to be holding weight and otherwise look healthy I would not stress over it too much. It's funny because I originally became interested in T. shanjing not only because of their beauty but because some of the literature that I have states that this species is often seen out in captivity. After keeping three species of Tylo's now I can say that shanjing are the most reclusive (but I enjoy them anyway).
Chip

 

[edward]

Both the shanjing I have at home and at work are out and about pretty frequently and have been conditioned to feed from tweezers.
Gord, this is not uncommon when there has been a major disruption in thier routine and/or habitat. After they settle down, the feeding routines should become reestablished.

Ed

 

[foster]

Ed,
What temperatures are you keeping yours at? Mine are more active during the summer when it's warmer however I rarely ever have an individual "beg for food" in the winter (I usually feed from forceps as well).
Chip

 

[edward]

My basement temperatures are currently at 66 F due to a warm spell(with lows into the upper 50s (at those temps, the response is reduced but if I am working on other tanks long enough they come out to see if they will be fed). The location at work where they are kept is also 66 F (it is right under the outflow the air conditioning system).

Ed

 

[gord]

Hey guys:

My basement office is heated, but I keep it at about 65 F during the night and just over 70 F during the day. All the newts in the room (5 tanks worth) seem to be loving it.The Shanjing are the least active by a mile.The smaller one goes for a walk each morning,however,while the female rarely moves.

Also, do you guys mist daily in the winter? I've been trying to keep things dry after the experience with my last shanjing tank (wet and anaerobic).

Gord

 

[foster]

Ed,
My basement temps have been running 66-68 F this week (it is unseasonably warm here in VA as well).

Gord,
I lightly mist all of my terrestrial enclosures (newts, lizards, plants, frog) daily. The humidity levels in the average american household tend to run low.
Chip

 

[gord]

Yah, but I'm a Canuck

I've been misting as well..was just wondering as I know Shanjing like things on the arid side.

Gord

 

[gord]

Big newt ate a small piece of crawler this am. First food intake in a while. Small one went for a morning round the tank stroll. Perhaps they are getting back to "normal".

GE

 

[gord]

More good news today..the big one followed up the crawler snack by eating two newly shed mealworms placed before it. Snapped them right up.

 

[gord]

Well the mealworm success continues. The small shanjing ate today for the first time in a week.

Is there any reason I should NOT feed shanjing mealworms? I'm using the small ones that have just shed. They are white and soft. I've had a culture of these things for over a year for some anoles, but the lizards didn't like them. So the mealworms have just been doing their thing in bran untouched.

What's neat is the the shanjing hunt the meal worms down and then flick their little tongue out with amazing accuracy. I've never seen that before.They chomp the worms in an entirely different way. They also seem to avoid any mealworm over a certain size. They seem to know it's too big or perhaps too hard. Very interesting.

I'm still going to try and get them interested in eating nightcrawler bits regularly, but the nice little fish worms I get all spring, summer and fall are under a couple feet of snow right now. I will definitely do a warm culture for them this spring.

The shanjing are also a little less shy ever day. Slow going, but progress is noted.

Gord

 

[edward]

The newly shed ones have a much lower chitin content and are probably fine for them. If you are offering these as the major part of the diet, I would suggest dusting them with a supplement once a week or so to ensure that they get enough calcium.

Ed

 

[gord]

Ed: I will try dusting the meal worms.

Anyway....both shanjing are eating regularly again..first time they've both been interested in food at the same time in probably two months or more. I'm quite relieved. One even ate a very slow cricket today..that was a first!

I've got my meal worm cultures into high gear as this seems to be a favoured food now. They are both still iffy about nightcrawler bits.I'm batting about 50/50 with those. I think they miss the little red wigglers they ate all summer and fall.My yard is full of them. Winter sucks for worm picking.

I might have to dig some pill bugs out of the recesses of my basement cold room. I bet they'd eat those as well.

Gord