Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have a japanese firebellied newt. When i bought him/her it would eat but never go in the water. He did this for about 4 months but then a couple days ago he is all over the place. He loves to swim now. His/her skin has gotten a little more bumpy and has a small bulge where his/her body meets the tail. Is it maturing into adult hood? How big does a japanese fb get? Thank you.

I doubt that you have a Japanese firebelly...there are restrictions on their importation from Japan (initiated by the Japanese). The only available source I know of is through captive breeding programs which are scarce and relatively expensive. If you did not go WAY out of your way to get this newt, it's probably not Japanese. If the belly has bright strong red spots and it's upper is very dark or black, it's more than likely a Chinese fire belly. It's not unheard of for a pet shop to incorrectly identify animals. They are a bit smaller and smoother skinned than japanese. If the belly spots are more orange and the top is brownish, that's a different Asian species altogether. It sounds like your newt has gotten over it's "importation shock" and is well on it's way to a long and healthy life in captivity. The lump you are referring to probably means it's a male. It could have just reached sexual maturity, but more than likely you just didn't notice it until he started swimming. It may be looking for a friend because fire bellies are social or it could be looking for food (the one I'm betting on). Most newts prefer to eat in the water. Try adding some small live ghost shrimp...those are always a great treat if your newt happens to corner one and will keep him roaming underwater constantly. As far as age, the rule of thumb is 5 years, but I've heard of 15. There is no reliable data on the life span of many imported amphibians because no one really knows how old they are at the time of capture. It also doesn't help that they are difficult to breed in captivity. Breeding programs don't start up until they become scarce...so far there is a good supply of CFBN and at cheap prices.

Umm, while they are not territorial they are also not social (assuming we are talking about C. orientalis here and not one of the Paramesotritons or Pachytritons that are coming in right now).

Ed

I stand corrected. There is a difference between tolerating tank mates and actually wanting their company. I can't say I have ever been able to see a difference in behavior between an individual newt and one in a communal situation (in the firebelly species) other than laying by each other and touching which can be interpreted as passive aggressive behavior: one is trying to stay close in the hopes of getting at any food before the other one does. I have never witnessed mating behavior in a typical newt tank.

You're also right that newts called firebellies can actually be paddle tails which have long broad tails and what I call a "puppy dog" muzzle. These are territorial and best kept singly.