Sibling Size Comparison

[jewett]

I have several groups of siblings where some have become aquatic and some have remained terrestrial. It seems we often comment on this forum on how Cynops/ Hypselotriton species grow so much faster once they return to an aquatic environment. Here are some pictures to testify to that!


These first images are orientalis siblings that are about 3 years old. Some of this sibling group returned to the water of their own volition around September 2011 and have been living with their parents in a fully aquatic set up since then. The rest of this sibling group have decided they don't like the water and are living in a plastic shoe box with damp paper towels. The aquatic sibling shown below is round from eggs, while I do not know the sex of the terrestrial sibling.

 

[jewett]

And these images are from a sibling group of popei I raised from eggs about 4 years ago. Two animals decided about 3 months ago they wanted to go back in the water, so I placed the whole group in a 10 gallon tank 3/4 filled with lots of floating plants and water, but still had a large floating island. I was hoping the rest of the siblings would decide to become aquatic, too, once they saw how much fun the other two were having swimming around but alas, they refused and forced my hand to remove their floating paradise about 10 days ago. They have acclimated well once they had nothing to completely haul out on. I wonder how long until the newbie aquatics catch up in size to the two aquatic pioneers...