Newts

[Andy Macfarlane]

Can Newts be kept in a tank AND would they need an area they can climb out to, or can they just pop up for a breather, when required, and otherwise live happily, submerged for the vast majority of the time?

 

Creating a little platform wouldn't be hard. I'm just wondering if it would be little more of a luxury, rather than an actual requirement.

[Worms]

Can Newts be kept in a tank AND would they need an area they can climb out to, or can they just pop up for a breather, when required, and otherwise live happily, submerged for the vast majority of the time?

 

Creating a little platform wouldn't be hard. I'm just wondering if it would be little more of a luxury, rather than an actual requirement.

They can be kept in tanks (except for Great Crested Newts which are protected species and so require a licence for keeping/handling/disturbing) but, at this time of year I suggest releasing them back to where they were found. Although newts breed in water and feed in water during the spring/summer months, they become terrestrial during the late summer/autumn. This involves physiological changes that mean an aquatic environment is no longer suitable for them.

 

They will spend the next few months foraging in the leaf litter etc. feeding on small invertebrates, slugs and worms prior to entering hibernation. They will then emerge in the spring and head for their (usually) pond of birth to spawn and feed in an aquatic phase.

 

If kept in a tank during the autumn winter then a terrarium/vivarium is the appropriate type. Attempting to keep them in an aquarium will ultimately see them drown or starve.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Magical information Worms. This is little more than a theoretical idea at present. I'm probably getting ahead of myself here but your information is very much appreciated none the less.