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Help please , common newts

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: Herpetofauna Native to the UK
Forum Name: Smooth Newt
Forum Description: Forum for all issues concerning Triturus vulgaris
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4450
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 7:00pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Help please , common newts
Posted By: Alexwilki2000
Subject: Help please , common newts
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:09pm
Hello I've recently received a 3 year old common newt and soon I will be receiving 2 more 2 year old newts and 1 , 5 month old wich is a baby from 2 of the 2 year old newts. I just have a question I'm keeping the newt I have at the minute in a tank about a foot to foot and a half and I have gravel on bottom with a little hill at the other side I also have rocks in there that come above surface of water with moss on I'm just wondering if this is okay . I have a few more questions if that's okay 1 of them is I feed it on garden worms , slugs and wood lice he's about 3 inches is this ok and is it okay if I was going t change the tank to put wood chippings as bottom and just have a large bowl of water and a hide thank you please could you let me know if this is okay thank you :)



Replies:
Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:38pm
When keeping newts they will generally remain in the terrestrial stage.

So providing a large of deep water area is not needed. They could drown in it too, because during the terrestrial stage they are quite bad at swimming!

A tank with plenty of moss and bark to hide under and kept moist would be the way to go in my opinion. They will drink water droplets if you spray with a mister, then you don't need a potentially dangerous water bowl.

Small invertebrates would be fine to feed them on, you can collect things like aphids on leaves in the summer months which they like, but worms and slugs are all good. It can be hard to find food like this in the winter months, but buying in baby crickets would give you a winter food supply if you ran into problems.

They'll be out to feed in the evenings, this will be the best time to see them and add any food to the tank, mostly during the day they will just hide under bark etc.


Posted By: Alexwilki2000
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:42pm
Thank you this is great help so would wood chippings be safe for them to live on ? Thankyou


Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:46pm
I wouldn't use wood chippings, it just doesn't seem very natural and I would be afraid they might accidentally eat them or something. 

Wood chippings go funny when they are damp too. 

I would go for the moss and bark which would look a lot better and more natural for them. Also any uneaten food could carry on living in the tank this way. A trip to a local woodland would allow you to collect all the mossy bark and damp logs you would need. Though moss can also be purchased at garden centers. 


Posted By: Alexwilki2000
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:48pm
On the bottom I'm just wondering what you mean about bark


Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:55pm
OK so you have your empty tank.

Line the bottom of it with some moss. If you like you could even put in a layer of soil and lay the moss on top.

Now give them some cover with some bark, not chippings, I mean large lumps of the stuff big enough for the animals to hide under. You can pull the right sort of stuff off a rotting log you find out in the woods.

That's pretty much it, you then spray the tank each evening with water to keep it all damp.

I probably wasn't being clear when I sad bark that I didn't mean chippings, I actually meant quite big chucks of the stuff.


Posted By: Alexwilki2000
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 3:57pm
Okay thank you so much I'm actually heading off now to the local woods to get moos and bark and there is a pond there so you never know I might get a couple of friends for him but is it illegal to catch and keep common newts ?


Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 4:03pm
No it is not illegal to keep common newts at all.

Strictly though to take them you should get the land owners permission. There may also be local by-laws say at wildlife reserves which state taking animals/plants is illegal.

If you do catch them from the wild right now from a pond though bare in mind the terrestrial tank set-up I've talked about above would be wrong!

They would then need an aquatic or semi-aquatic set-up.

This is when you either just put them in a tank of water with some water plants and watch them swim about.

Or you do the sloping gravel thing.

I hope that is not too confusing, but if you have any more questions don't  hesitate to ask.


Posted By: Richard2
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 6:38pm
It's important also to have a cover over the tank. Newts can climb a glass pane. If your tank is indoors, and the newts escape, they'll probably dry out and die. A sheet of glass on top of the tank would do, and would increase the humidity, as long as you let in air by leaving a gap too small for the newts to squeeze through. Or you could use a piece of net curtain with a wooden frame, or held tightly in place by elastic.
 
This takes me back.
 
Richard


Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 8:45pm
Yep it takes me back well over 30 years too Richard! I think everyone should keep some newts, if only for a short time. Fascinating little creatures which we can learn a lot about by just watching them.



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