T. taliangensis feeding behavior

[foster]

I have some concerns over the feeding habits of the tailengensis that I purchased a few months back. Initially two were ravenous feeders, accepting a variety of live and prepared food from forceps. Two (one of which arrived bloated and still is) were less bold at feeding time but would accept a variety of food (again from forceps). The last individual initially accepted food but then refused everything for about three weeks before accepting slugs. I have them in three separate quarantine enclosures (2,2 and 1 per enclosure - the bloated individual is separated). All were initially treated with panacur and flagyl. This was done in a somewhat haphazard method placing the meds on food items with the end result being some of the medication being lost before consumption. The animals are in my basement with the temp in the mid to upper 60's (F). After the first month all of the animals were feeding more or less regularly - the bloated individual still only accepts food about once a week. Over the past ten days or so however none have been feeding much, if at all. most will walk over and investigate food items offered but then turn away. I have always offered as much of a variety as possible (earthworms, slugs, insects, soaked reptomin, krill, etc) and there have been no major temperature fluctuations. All appear to be holding weight but I am used to the shanjing's and kweichow's eating most anytime that food is offered. Comments/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Chip

 

[jesper]

How's your taliangensis now? Eating better?
I kept mine at 15C initially, they ate ok but not enough to fatten them up. I tried to raise the temp. to see how this affected their appetite and they started to eat much better. Keeping them at 18-19C now and they eat a lot more and are generally more active ( still lazy, but not hibernation lazy ). I sure would like some microenvironment temp. data for this species.

 

[john]

Foster: I'm not experienced with Tylototriton taliangensis, but what Jesper says makes sense. I think you have them a little too warm for winter. I would lower the temperature a bit *switches to Fahrenheit mode* to 60-64 maximum. Upper 60s is probably not a safe place for new imports of this species :/.

Regarding the panacur and flagyl (though I don't think you should have them together - the panacur on its own would probably have been best, then a month later the flagyl). Frank Pasmans (Frank is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) recently indicated on this forum that such dosing of newly imported Tylototriton probably does more harm than good (he was referring to the use of panacur with T. kweichowensis), due to the heavy stress under which recent imports find them selves, resulting in increased parasitic load, and then sudden die off after medication with panacur. This could be your problem.

In any case, cool them down a bit, and I wish you the best of luck.

 

[foster]

I appreciate the advice from both of you. Three are eating but again only sporadically. The two smallest individuals are not eating. While I am still very concerned my stress is somewhat relieved after I observed them with the lights out. All of them were out and actively moving around their enclosures. This is in contrast to the shanjings and kweichows which are generally very active during the day. I am a little confused about the temp advice. Jesper recommends raising it a bit and John recommends the opposite. Since all five are in individual quarantine containers I suppose that I could do a little experimenting. Thanks again.
Chip

 

[foster]

Sorry but I forgot to mention the use of the medications. For years I used a "shotgun therapy" approach with newly imported lizards (this was the help of a vet friend). As time went on however I became a firm believer in the "if it is not broken then do not fix it approach". If an animal was eating and otherwise looking healthy I felt that the stress caused by handling and forceful administration of oral meds generally did more harm than good. With the tylos however I am in new territory (for myself and my vet friend). I read through some of the few books that I have that mention wc amphibian acclimation and made the decision to treat based on that. I realize now that I should have dug a little deeper on this forum first. I did the same with the shanjings and kweichows and (knock wood) both groups seem to be doing very well. Again, all of your advice is very much appreciated.
Chip

 

[john]

No, we're not contradicting each other - I am trying to point out that Jesper kept his cool at the beginning, with success, and then raised the temperature. You haven't followed that, but are keeping them warmer from the start. I am suggesting you lower the temperature until you sort things out, then raise it like Jesper did.

Good luck.

 

[foster]

I understand now. Thanks.

 

[foster]

John and Jesper,
I was able to lower the temp several more degrees by placing the quarantine containers directly onto the basement floor. As of last night all five individuals have started eating again, four of them aggressively so. Thanks for the help!
Chip

 

[foster]

All five individuals have been eating well since the last post. I plan on moving them to a permanent setup in a few weeks. I make an effort to offer as much variety as possible however until recently two individuals have accepted only cut earthworms, investigating but ultimately refusing everything else offered. Last week I offered some (pre-soaked) freeze dried krill and both of them eagerly consumed what was offered. What I find interesting is that the other three individuals have accepted a variety of the usual fare yet all refused the krill. Out of curiosity I repeated the same feeding this morning with the same results. I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed similar behavior in this species?
Chip

 

[michael]

I don't like to hand feed. I keep my T. tailangensis in a half land half water setup. I've noticed some spend most of the time in the water and some spend most of the time on land. They all seem to feed better in water. I put them all in the water when they feed. I put small earthworms in and most eat them eagerly. Some are even eating salmon pellets. They are a little slower feeders than the T. verrocusus and the T. Kweichowensis.

 

[carlos]

Hi Michael, I found that there is very difficult to feed my T. tailangensis on land, they only smell the food but they not taken the food. What is the water level if you feeding your T. tailangensis in the water???

(sorry for my bad english)

 

[michael]

HI Carlos,
No apology necessary. My tailangensis are set up in a half land half water set up. The land part is mostly large flat rocks. The water is about 8cm deep.

 

[yago]

I keep them completely terrestrial in a setup of coconut soil and fresh moss. They eat a lot (earthworms, crickets, mealworms...). They are quite fatty

Temperatures have being between 18 º (October) and those days down to 9 Cº. I keep them with no light at all unless when I am watching them or feeding them. It seems that the lighting doesn't disturb them while eating. I will put them in a aquatic setup by next month in order to breed them. I keep my fingers cross

Other friends had casualties by keeping them aquatic or semi-aquatic just after the import. I had no casualty so far by keeping them terrestrial in a quite dry setup with no light and feeding them with live food twice a week.
On the other hand, any info on their breeding?
Best greetings
Yago

 

[carlos]

Hi Michael, thanks for your help

do you have any hidden place offer for your tailangensis??? Is is necessary make a shelter for them???

Hi Yago, I also use the soil and wet moss as the substrate. Is that no problem if the tailangensis eat the soil or moss??? I worry about they will eat the substrate when i drop the earthworms, crickets for them.

(Message edited by carloswan2000 on February 09, 2005)

(Message edited by carloswan2000 on February 09, 2005)

 

[yago]

I never had a problem with those substrates. You may have it with tinny sand and tiny rocks.
Best greetings
Yago

 

[michael]

I use some coconut huts and cork bark. They also like to spend time under overhanging rocks in the water.
Michael