# smooth newt set up/ care sheet



## ukphd

Hello 
I don't usually venture outside the Shelled section (so be gentle  ).
Does anyone have any advice or care sheets for smooth newts? Or any photos of a set up that I could see please? 
thanks


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## sean k

*common newts*

common newts are very easy to care for as there are native not many people keep them but a few do. just make sure when you go out collecting them you do not get great crested newts as they are protected. 

all you need really is a glass/plastic tank this time of the year they will be hibernating so they will only need a soil substrate with moss and logs. but they do need a semiaquatic set- up.


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## lizardkid

sean k said:


> common newts are very easy to care for as there are native not many people keep them but a few do. just make sure when you go out collecting them you do not get great crested newts as they are protected.
> 
> all you need really is a glass/plastic tank this time of the year they will be hibernating so they will only need a soil substrate with moss and logs. but they do need a semiaquatic set- up.


Wow! It's legal to collect newts? If so I guess it's not much different from other newts; a 20 gal tank (just to make sure), room temps, a land and water area, and bugs for food, although i wouldn't know 'cause I've never collected 'em before.


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## daftlassieEmma

lizardkid said:


> Wow! It's legal to collect newts? If so I guess it's not much different from other newts; a 20 gal tank (just to make sure), room temps, a land and water area, and bugs for food, although i wouldn't know 'cause I've never collected 'em before.


it's legal to collect them (smooth newts) but it's illegal to sell or trade them or their larvae or eggs unless you have a lisence. : victory:


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## REDDEV1L

> The four widespread species of amphibian, the smooth and palmate newts, the common frog and common toad, are protected only by Section 9(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This section prohibits sale, barter, exchange, transporting for sale and advertising to sell or to buy. Collection and keeping of these widespread amphibian species is not an offence.


I'm sure I read somewhere however that if you take spawn or tadpoles & keep them until they turn into frogs/toads/newts, that it is illegal to then set them free again !!! Unfortunately I haven't got a link to the site I read it on, but I read alot about laws regarding common uk species as I did the above with toad-poles, and also have a one-eyed frog I rescued from a lake as it was very small and skinny so couldn't have survived in the wild (He's about 15x his original size in the 3 months we've had him and yet still manages to miss his food and get a mouthful of eco-earth)

I was even told by one reptile shop up here that I shouldn't be broadcasting that I have common toads as it's illegal to keep them !! Show's how much they know...LMAO


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## daftlassieEmma

REDDEV1L said:


> *I'm sure I read somewhere however that if you take spawn or tadpoles & keep them until they turn into frogs/toads/newts, that it is illegal to then set them free again !!!* Unfortunately I haven't got a link to the site I read it on, but I read alot about laws regarding common uk species as I did the above with toad-poles, and also have a one-eyed frog I rescued from a lake as it was very small and skinny so couldn't have survived in the wild (He's about 15x his original size in the 3 months we've had him and yet still manages to miss his food and get a mouthful of eco-earth)
> 
> *I was even told by one reptile shop up here that I shouldn't be broadcasting that I have common toads as it's illegal to keep them !! Show's how much they know...LMAO*


i can recall something similar too, think it may be because the chances of them surviving would be low but i'm not sure for definite
had that from pet shops as well...twits:whistling2:


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## ukphd

As far as I understood it it's legal to collect and keep smooth newts, but illegal to sell/trade or release them into anywhere other than the pond they were collected from. I could of course be wrong..

I'm rather new to amphibians and although I've kept smooth newts in the past (long long ago when I was given 2 that were from the school lab) I would like to make sure I'm doing this right as I'm not convinced I was doing it right before. My mum's pond has a nice little community of smooth newts but she's having major work done which will involve draining it so I want to collect them, keep them while they work is done and then release them back in when it's finished (or if that's illegal I'll just keep them!). Does anyone have a care sheet or a photo of a good set up?

Thanks to those that have already given advice :2thumb: - can you give me any more details? How deep should water be (as there are clearly those that are still using the water as they're still in the pond now), ratio of land: water? substrate type? etc 

I know they should be out the water at this time of year but there are still a few swimming about! What can they be fed? Is there any food I can get via the post that they'll eat? When I had them before I fed them live bloodworm and crickets. Crickets weren't very successful as they tended to drown themselves and the live blood worm was great but a) it's hard to find near here and expensive to order online (or at least the places I've checked are expensive) and b) I'm unsure if it's enough for them nutrition-wise.

Sorry to ask so many questions 
thanks


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## daftlassieEmma

they can be kept in a terrestrial set up for most of the year (as long as it is kept moist) and moved to an aquatic set up in the spring for breeding providing that there is some kind of land or haul out area. 
fraid that's all my books tell me (not much on our native species) but i'll have a wee root around for you


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## ukphd

daftlassieEmma said:


> they can be kept in a terrestrial set up for most of the year (as long as it is kept moist) and moved to an aquatic set up in the spring for breeding providing that there is some kind of land or haul out area.
> fraid that's all my books tell me (not much on our native species) but i'll have a wee root around for you


Thank you :2thumb:


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## ilovetoads2

I spoke to the same woman at that reptile shop I bet! I have 3 smooth newts, and 2 toads and she harped on about it being illegal. I told her that I knew it was not as I got them from my garden and they were not protected but she was adament! I dont know where they get their information. It is amazing that these pet shop owners think they know so much more than we do! I wonder how many books they read on any oe species....or articles....we know best. 

But...newts are supposed to be hibernating and you are not supposed to disturb them during this time so unless you already have them,...wait till spring. This is when they need a semi aquatic set up...after the rest has been obsorbed then they would move away from the ponds and be totally on land while hunting and preparing for hibernation again.

Please look on my page for examples of both types o setups...ps. they must hibernate to maintain their health and not doing so shortens the life span. So I keep my newts and toads in my porch. It is unheated and gets the correct amount of sun exposure for the time of year as it is south facing. Hope this helped...If not, get in touch.


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## daftlassieEmma

when i was trying to find some info for you i went on 5 separate newt/amphibian forums for a wee nose and on every one there was a question like yours and every reply was the same; IT'S ILLEGAL PUT THEM BACK! :whip: :devil:
was tempted to join just so i could say otherwise and see what reaction i got :whistling2:


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## ukphd

ilovetoads2 said:


> I spoke to the same woman at that reptile shop I bet! I have 3 smooth newts, and 2 toads and she harped on about it being illegal. I told her that I knew it was not as I got them from my garden and they were not protected but she was adament! I dont know where they get their information. It is amazing that these pet shop owners think they know so much more than we do! I wonder how many books they read on any oe species....or articles....we know best.
> 
> But...newts are supposed to be hibernating and you are not supposed to disturb them during this time so unless you already have them,...wait till spring. This is when they need a semi aquatic set up...after the rest has been obsorbed then they would move away from the ponds and be totally on land while hunting and preparing for hibernation again.
> 
> Please look on my page for examples of both types o setups...ps. they must hibernate to maintain their health and not doing so shortens the life span. So I keep my newts and toads in my porch. It is unheated and gets the correct amount of sun exposure for the time of year as it is south facing. Hope this helped...If not, get in touch.



Thanks 
Well I'll leave it as long as I can. There are definitely some non-hibernating newts as I saw them today in the pond swimming about so I hope they're ok. I'll try to convince my mother to delay the work until spring so I can collect them then. If she starts now though should I provide water for the ones that are currently in the pond? How deep should the water be? Also what substrate do you use? Is there a commercially available soil or is it just topsoil?

thanks :2thumb:


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## ukphd

daftlassieEmma said:


> when i was trying to find some info for you i went on 5 separate newt/amphibian forums for a wee nose and on every one there was a question like yours and every reply was the same; IT'S ILLEGAL PUT THEM BACK! :whip: :devil:
> was tempted to join just so i could say otherwise and see what reaction i got :whistling2:


he he he thanks :lol2:


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## ilovetoads2

ukphd said:


> Thanks
> Well I'll leave it as long as I can. There are definitely some non-hibernating newts as I saw them today in the pond swimming about so I hope they're ok. I'll try to convince my mother to delay the work until spring so I can collect them then. If she starts now though should I provide water for the ones that are currently in the pond? How deep should the water be? Also what substrate do you use? Is there a commercially available soil or is it just topsoil?
> 
> thanks :2thumb:


We are having a mild winter and today two of my newts and the small toad showed face after only 2 weeks of sleeping. I use eco earth for all of my animals. This is because you can get some soils that have pestisides in them. During the winter I provide a large corner bowl of water (in my pics this is raised and has moss under it). You will need plants...I use several meant for rock gardens but their favourite is a small one that has step like leaves...dont know the name but they spend alot of time on it. I also have a wooden hide (initially sold for hampsters they like to hide under and climb on) You will need to feed them too, They sometimes can be seen eating fruit flies the toads missed, and earthworms are always in my tank. Some times I will find one and cut it to about 1/4 inch and place it in front of the newt, if they are hungry they will take it. Mine are quite shy and tend to wait until they feel safe before they eat. Mind and put gravel in the bottom of the tank for drainage. Spray it every few days as needed after the initial watering although I rarely have to do this as when I change the water I simply pour clean treated water into the bowl of existing water and allow it to overflow. This has kept the animals happy for 8 months now...roll on spring!


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## ukphd

ilovetoads2 said:


> We are having a mild winter and today two of my newts and the small toad showed face after only 2 weeks of sleeping. I use eco earth for all of my animals. This is because you can get some soils that have pestisides in them. During the winter I provide a large corner bowl of water (in my pics this is raised and has moss under it). You will need plants...I use several meant for rock gardens but their favourite is a small one that has step like leaves...dont know the name but they spend alot of time on it. I also have a wooden hide (initially sold for hampsters they like to hide under and climb on) You will need to feed them too, They sometimes can be seen eating fruit flies the toads missed, and earthworms are always in my tank. Some times I will find one and cut it to about 1/4 inch and place it in front of the newt, if they are hungry they will take it. Mine are quite shy and tend to wait until they feel safe before they eat. Mind and put gravel in the bottom of the tank for drainage. Spray it every few days as needed after the initial watering although I rarely have to do this as when I change the water I simply pour clean treated water into the bowl of existing water and allow it to overflow. This has kept the animals happy for 8 months now...roll on spring!


Thank you for all the info 

Just a few more questions (sorry!) - in spring do you then provide deeper water? and what else can you feed them? I was wondering if you can get small earthworms as a live food? or do you just collect them in the garden? When I last had smooth newts I only really fed them live blood worm and crickets (though the crickets were a bit of a failure as they just drowned themselves and then weren't eaten!). Was that wrong?
Thanks again for all your help


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## ilovetoads2

I use about 4 inches of water. The land areas in the photos are much bigger than they appeared and were on stilts so the animals had the entire tank of water under and around, and about 2/3 land that was easy for them to get in and out of. I included aquarium safe plants in the water and obviously a pump/filter. worms are fine to use and I get mine from my local garden centre with my flies, crickets, calcium dust, and occasional waxworms. 

Not all of the above food is for the newts. I have been told to try bloodworm but this is only available frozen near me and they will only eat live food. It is my belief that they will only eat when they are hungry. They are offered something when I see them out and about. I dont fret if they dont eat though as they do eat the flies left for the toad. As I said. There are earthworms in my tank and in spring and summer I collect slugs also....well away from any planted garden and only from my grass/path so I know they are less likely to have come into contact with something harmful. If you are worried about crickets drowning then you may have too much water or not enough ways of escape. Plants that grow out of the water may help.


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## ukphd

Thank you 
I'm so excited about this - I absolutely love newts, toads and frogs and have been dying to keep some so this seems like a good way to start and it will mean my mum's pond won't lose her newt community. Hopefully the OH will like it too and then I can get some other species later 


Edited to add:
oops sorry I forgot - one more question. How do you clean them out? I mean the land area (the water is obvious). Do you just do one big change when it gets too dirty? or regular changes? or do you use springtails (I've seen them mentioned on here but never used them)?


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## ilovetoads2

As I said, I have a large corner dish that is on stilts. I simply pour in new water and let it overflow a little. Then once a week I take it out and wash it with boiled water. Then replace with fresh treated water. I do it this way for 2 reasons. One, because I dont like to keep lifting out the bowl as 2 of my animals live under it...and 2 because the water that spills over waters my plants by keeping the drainage layer wet and then the roots soak it up. Water MUST be changed every day when in a dish. If you have alot of water put in a filter. Then do a 10% water change every week and keep an eye on the filter to make sure it is clear (do not rinse the sponge in tap water...take out the water you want to change then squeeze the sponge in this till clear then replace). You need the bacteria but if the sponge gets blocked the water will get minging! Hope this helps. Remember to post pics when your done!


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## daftlassieEmma

ilovetoads2 said:


> As I said, I have a large corner dish that is on stilts. I simply pour in new water and let it overflow a little. Then once a week I take it out and wash it with boiled water. Then replace with fresh treated water. I do it this way for 2 reasons. One, because I dont like to keep lifting out the bowl as 2 of my animals live under it...and 2 because the water that spills over waters my plants by keeping the drainage layer wet and then the roots soak it up. Water MUST be changed every day when in a dish. If you have alot of water put in a filter. Then do a 10% water change every week and keep an eye on the filter to make sure it is clear (do not rinse the sponge in tap water...take out the water you want to change then squeeze the sponge in this till clear then replace). You need the bacteria but if the sponge gets blocked the water will get minging! Hope this helps. Remember to post pics when your done!


you should make an official care sheet in case anyone else becomes inspired


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## ilovetoads2

I will take that as a compliment and work on it. I know alot more about these than most others...just one species at a time!:lol2:


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## daftlassieEmma

you should 
i have a soft spot for them cause there's a dam 10 mins up the road from me and it's moving with them! 
best childhood memory was going up there each year for our 'Annual Frog, Toad and Newt hunt' good times :2thumb:
havn't kept them since i was wee, so it seems i too will be up collecting in the spring...


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## ilovetoads2

Aye see and everyone thought they had a differnent pet in their Japanese newts lol...when someone hears what pets I keep their main question is why? especially as I come across as a girly girl. But I am so taken with frogs, toads and newts that I learn as much as I can about them...and have done for 18 years...though just the last year on common newts. Love them Love them Love them!


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## badboiboom

could someone post a pic as i would love ideas!(i annually care for smooth newts and common frogs during the spring)

cheers,

Rory


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## ukphd

Brilliant!
Thanks* ilovetoads2*.
So does the eco earth not need cleaning then? Does it sort of create it's own micro-climate? 
Thanks so much for all the help - you definitely should make a care sheet as you clearly know what you're talking about


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## badboiboom

ukphd said:


> Brilliant!
> Thanks* ilovetoads2*.
> So does the eco earth not need cleaning then? Does it sort of create it's own micro-climate?
> Thanks so much for all the help - you definitely should make a care sheet as you clearly know what you're talking about


in my tiger salamander viv i have earth worms and woodlice
they sometimes get eaten but it does create a microclimate:2thumb:


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## spend_day

badboiboom said:


> in my tiger salamander viv i have earth worms and woodlice
> they sometimes get eaten but it does create a microclimate:2thumb:



i tried that with my fire salamander, all that happen was i got a fat fire sal lol


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## badboiboom

any pictures of their terrestrial and aquatic setups for titurus vulgaris then?


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## ilovetoads2

This is my tank set up for when they are terrestrial.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/memb...nk-picture15500-photo-not-great-but-full.html


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## daftlassieEmma

ilovetoads2 said:


> This is my tank set up for when they are terrestrial.


 very swish :2thumb:


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## badboiboom

cool
so lot's of cover yeah?
what humidity percentage is that?


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## ilovetoads2

to be honest...I dont know. This was taken just after I misted it. I just judge it by the glass. I only feed fruitflies once a week and when they are not in there I will open the glass cover a bit. I covered the air holes with material though so this makes it more humid than it would normally be but had to do it cause those damn flies get everywhere!!!

It is kept in my porch that is not heated. The temp is only a few degrees higher than outside and it gets the sun from morning till night (only in winter in the summer this makes it too warm) I am getting a gauge on Tuesday for the tank I set up for red eyes and have a spare dial so I will put them in and monitor for a few days to let you know. 

Will work on a care sheet. Have three kids so it may take a week or so...that tank is 2 feet by 1 foot and houses 3 common newts, and two toads (one medium and one small but both common) If you look carefully you can just see two of them in the left hand corner.


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## badboiboom

can you find common toads this time of year?
ive not seen any for a good few months so are they hibernating?


(sorry if it's off topic )


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## ilovetoads2

Yes they are hibernating and you should start seeing them again in about March. LOL I am showing off now...I know all!!!!!!:lol2hope you are laughing with me I am really not that clever...blonde you see!):whistling2:


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## daftlassieEmma

ilovetoads2 said:


> Yes they are hibernating and you should start seeing them again in about March. LOL I am showing off now...I know all!!!!!!:lol2hope you are laughing with me I am really not that clever...blonde you see!):whistling2:


stop being so hard on yourself!:lol2:
oh, depending on the weather (if it's still cold) you might see them a little later than March, i didn't see any until around May last year...then again i am in Scotland :hmm:


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## Joe1507

ilovetoads2 said:


> Yes they are hibernating and you should start seeing them again in about March. LOL I am showing off now...I know all!!!!!!:lol2hope you are laughing with me I am really not that clever...blonde you see!):whistling2:


 
I beg to differ Ive seen 2 this january!


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