What should I do with this newt?

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   Hi
 there, I wondered if you could help me... I took a newt out of our pond a few days ago because it was 
floating around on the top of the water, on its back, and very bloated around 
its back half. I think it is a female smooth newt?

I came across some 
advice given to somebody else about making a temporary home from damp 
moss, and that's what I've done. The bloating has now gone thankfully, but it's 
still not very active and only moves in bursts. It does hide away from sunlight okay. It can submerge in water
 now but only seems to swim with its front legs (the back ones do move 
when it walks) and only sort of uses its tail. It gets swept along with any movement of the water very easily. 
The poor thing does have a point on its back which does not look good :( I nearly released it but then the freezing weather came 
along and I wasn't sure of the least cruel thing to do.  I
 don't want to keep it out of its environment any longer than I have to 
but I feel stuck. I've tried feeding it a
 tiny mealworm since that's all I have, but it isn't interested at all. Other than that I'm just leaving it alone and letting it hide away.

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andy29 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List New Member Joined: 23 Jan 2017 Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote andy29 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: What should I do with this newt? Posted: 23 Jan 2017 at 4:13am
	Hi there, I wondered if you could help me... I took a newt out of our pond a few days ago because it was floating around on the top of the water, on its back, and very bloated around its back half. I think it is a female smooth newt? I came across some advice given to somebody else about making a temporary home from damp moss, and that's what I've done. The bloating has now gone thankfully, but it's still not very active and only moves in bursts. It does hide away from sunlight okay. It can submerge in water now but only seems to swim with its front legs (the back ones do move when it walks) and only sort of uses its tail. It gets swept along with any movement of the water very easily. The poor thing does have a point on its back which does not look good :( I nearly released it but then the freezing weather came along and I wasn't sure of the least cruel thing to do. I don't want to keep it out of its environment any longer than I have to but I feel stuck. I've tried feeding it a tiny mealworm since that's all I have, but it isn't interested at all. Other than that I'm just leaving it alone and letting it hide away.

Hawley Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 113	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hawley Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jan 2017 at 10:40am
	I don't know anything about newts, but this might help https://www.arc-trust.org/newts-faqs

Caleb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660	Post Options Post Reply Quote Caleb Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 Jan 2017 at 10:08am
	If you still have it, the best thing to do would be to keep it moist and cool (ideally 5-10C) until you can release it. It won't need feeding at this temperature. I'd recommend releasing on land when the weather warms up a little bit. It does look like it's had a spinal injury, but newts can recover from these. It'll probably always have a kinked spine if it does survive.