# Wild newt please help!!!!



## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

i was srung by sumprise by a friend giving me a pair of wild newts that were caught like last year. now what do i feed it!!!! how often!!!!!!! and what species is it. i have no camera so no picture but it is brown with orangy belly. help!!


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## Rabymar (Feb 19, 2009)

eeeeeeek thats against the law...i mean to keep wild newts lol


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

beastluke said:


> i have no camera so no picture but it is brown with orangy belly. help!!


OH balls 

these could be great crested newts, they are protected and if descovered they were A: removed from the wild and B: traded (in this case giving away counts as traded) and C: kept in captivity you and your friend could be facing a large fine and even a jail sentence.

these may not be GCN but its possible 

ill knock up a general newt caresheet while u compair piccys from google images etc i hope there not GCN

palmate and smooth (aka common) newts are both legal to collect from the wils and own but not trade (again this still technically counts as trading) and if discovered your freind could be fined (but its unlikely)


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## Rabymar (Feb 19, 2009)

thats what i was thinking..................let them go back in the pond they got them from


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

Rabymar said:


> thats what i was thinking..................let them go back in the pond they got them from


would they be ok after so .long? what was your friend feeding them?


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## badboiboom (Oct 22, 2007)

have the newts got a spotty chin? if so smooth newt
if they have distinctively webbed back feet they could be palmate newts.


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## Rabymar (Feb 19, 2009)

ami_j said:


> would they be ok after so .long? what was your friend feeding them?


They are not mine lol they are the op's


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

hey all i typed smooth newt on google and its a slightly darker colour of the 1st 1. so what do they eat cuz i just put some aphids in the 10 gal rub it in


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## sandmatt (Oct 25, 2008)

If they've spent a portion of their life in the wild they'll be fine, and even if they haven't they still have the instinct, so would be alright if they were released in the proper place.


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

wait till the spring and the warmer weather and return them to the pond they came from.
meanwhile you can feed them small red worms / thawed blood worm / most frozen aquatic food but they love a red worm.


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

Ok honestly i would guess these are smooth newts (triturus vulgaris) but if they have very webbed back feet they are palmate newts (lissotriton helvetica).

smooth newts are semi aquatic and while highly aquatic during breeding season they can become almost completely terrestrial outside of breeding season, a damp cool "forest floor" style set-up with a large water dish or a 50/50 semi aquatic set-up would be best lots of logs and stuff for them to hide under and the water must be still or slow flowing so n strong filtration. substrate of eco earth or organic (pesticide fertalizer vemiculate free) potting soil must be kept damp but not water logged. keep at a temp of 10-21C.

feed any small invert it can fit in its mouth earthworms seem to be a favorite of any newt or salamander but they will also take things like crickets fruit flies and the like they will also likely eat aquatic livefoods like bloodworms. if getting earthworms from outside make sure there from a pesticide free area. 

i dont know a huge amount about palmate newts so if they are tell me and ill ask around

any other questions just ask


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*newt;*

i will mist the tank to get it damp and ill give it some more aphids and earth worms. how many should i give it a week and how many times a week


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

beastluke said:


> i will mist the tank to get it damp and ill give it some more aphids and earth worms. how many should i give it a week and how many times a week


feed every 2-3 days how much really depends on the newt, just experiment with different amounts till you find whats right for your newt.

some aphids excreate a nasty chemical it wont harm the newt but it may make them taste bad meaning the newt might not eat them


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*newt;*

well the newt seemed pretty lifeless but then i started to spray it with the water spayer thing and it sprung t life. well as much as a newt can lol, i think it was a bit dehydrated


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

oh just a thought its better to use decholirnated (either with chemicals or left to stand for 24 hour) or bottled (i used tesco value 15p for 2 litres) water for things like misting and the water bowl etc.

good luck


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## TheToad888 (Dec 18, 2008)

Its not illegal to keep smooth newts but it's not a good idea to keep them. I'd try feeding them Earthworms or crickets or try feeding it insects from your garden or somewhere like that.


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*newt*

well i feel that i cant hadle this little guy. im not to confident with keeping it so any1 with experience is welcome to come and pick it up free of charge

just h8 it when i c this happen and i dont like things dieing


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## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

Rabymar said:


> eeeeeeek thats against the law...i mean to keep wild newts lol


it' not illegal to collect smooth and palmate newts but it is illegal to sell or trade them unless you have a liscence

it is however illegal to deliberately search/disturb great crested newts let alone keep them


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*sex*

how can i tell the sex of the newt? btw i have confermation it is a smooth newt and it is always in the water lol


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## TheToad888 (Dec 18, 2008)

beastluke said:


> how can i tell the sex of the newt? btw i have confermation it is a smooth newt and it is always in the water lol


That would be hard... I will _try_ and find out how to sex them but i will probably fail.


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*food*

would it eat dried bloodworm, catshish cubes or fish flakes?


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

beastluke said:


> would it eat dried bloodworm, catshish cubes or fish flakes?


dried bloodworms maybe altho they are lower in nutrience and being wild it may only take livefood 
i dont know whats in a cat fish cubes and no to fish food its not good for them


where are u based if u really feel u cannot look after it i may be able to take it on but i have limited transport


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*hi*

well im in reading so im about 2 and a half hours away


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

beastluke said:


> well im in reading so im about 2 and a half hours away


i dont drive so i dunno if i can get down there. i have a couple of mates at reading uni see if there coming home anytime in the next few weeks. failing that im sure there's some1 else who will be able to give you a hand


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*hi*

im not 2 bothered about keeping it its just feeding. i have put earthworms in front of him/her but nothing. was thinking if it would take a locust or wax worm


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

beastluke said:


> im not 2 bothered about keeping it its just feeding. i have put earthworms in front of him/her but nothing. was thinking if it would take a locust or wax worm


maybe might just be a little bit freaked out atm or just not hungry give it few days im sure its appetite will come back


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*....*

might get of the wax worms 2morrow 4 it. also would it eat on or off land?


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## lizamphid1 (Dec 15, 2008)

daftlassieEmma said:


> it' not illegal to collect smooth and palmate newts but it is illegal to sell or trade them unless you have a liscence
> 
> it is however illegal to deliberately search/disturb great crested newts let alone keep them


Are you sure Palmated Newts are not protected, thought they are only found on heathland, like studland, rare as rocking horse sxxt here


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*....*

well if any1 is in the south east region any time soon, feel free to pick him/her up. it doesnt look in bad health, just i think that it has been moved around alot i think a more EXPERIENCED keeper would have more luck


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## Matt Harris (Aug 21, 2007)

Palmate newts are found just about everywhere, same as smooths, it's just that they may be more tolerant of the acidic conditions on upland heaths and bogs.

There is a general licence to trade smooth and palmate newts, within certain conditions such as outside the breeding season, and not in certain counties where a particular species is rare. Check with DEFRA in England, WAG in Wales (dunno about Scotland or NI)


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

lizamphid1 said:


> Are you sure Palmated Newts are not protected, thought they are only found on heathland, like studland, rare as rocking horse sxxt here



They are protected, although not to the same degree as great cresteds.

They are generally found on heathland etc. But for some reason seem quite common in Portsmouth garden ponds!


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## beastluke (Sep 27, 2008)

*....*

well in reading youve got more chance finding jesus's dvd collection so i dont no how my m8 found these


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## wolves121121 (Mar 27, 2008)

why dont you try using google earth see if any one in your area has a pond go round and ask if its fish free and if you would be able to release it there


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## tokay (Mar 13, 2007)

better still create a fish free wildlife pond ya self in ya garden and release it


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