Squashed newt may survive

I'm going to relate something horrible, and only because I might have done something worse. I'm embarassed to relate this, but it's also fascinating. Yesterday I fed my verrucosus morphs, as I do every day, and I inadvertently put the food container on top of one of my newts' heads. I really try to be careful because I did something like this before, but not as bad, but obviously I was not careful enough. Unless maybe the newt crawled underneath and the bowl shifted. So today I was examining my morphs before feeding and I found him, his head was squashed. Not just a little, but thin, like 1-2 mm on one side, and the other side, not much larger. There was moisture around the head like I squashed his eye out, and I was sure it was dead. But then I noticed his limbs were still moving. I can't tell you how grossed out and horrified I was, especially that it was still alive. And ill and angry at myself. So I thought I would have to somehow euthanize this creature, since it was still moving. I stepped back and fed some other animals for a while until I could deal with it. After about ten minutes, I went back and I swear his head had half filled back up. Ten minutes later and his eye popped back in place. There is a thin red line along his mouth, like blood, but he's moved back in the bunch with the other newts, twice, because when I examined him both times I put him separate, and both times he moved back to the group. Of course I will check him often but it looks possible that he may live.
I almost did something worse to him by euthanizing him and here it's possible he may actually survive.

The other time, I'd put the bowl on top of the animal, and I found it later and it was half flattened with moisture around its body (like the fluid was squashed out) and after a week I couldn't tell it from the other newts anymore and it's been maybe two months now and he survived. I'm not proud of this, in fact horrified, but fascinated at their ability to recover.

AWWWWW!!!!!! it sucks doesn't it? I'm glad they both turned out ok!! And I'll cross my fingers, say a prayer, send best wishes and get well vibes for the new squishy.

Awe...and WOW! Who knew that they were so...um....resilient?!??

I really feel for you though. I would have been going through the same emotions, believe me!! I have done stupid before, and I still kick myself. I had an escapee. I blame myself for turning my attention away, even if it was only for a moment...

I am really glad they seem like they will be making it.

amazing creatures they are.

I dropped the glass lid of my tank into the tank like 4 times in the first 2 days Ive had my newts, scared me to death until I saw none of them were hurt. Have been way more cautious and careful since.

Here he is months later. His one eye is ruined, but his appetite is healthy!

He lived to see another day after all. He may even grow up and breed!
Of course I don't know the sex right now, but I had to change the name. It was going to be something from the Iliad, but now it'll have to be after a one-eyed mythological figure...Odin or Manasa...or maybe I'll just name him/her "Popeye."

for the siblings: see

http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?p=204085#post204085 pictured in post #14 of that thread.

Wow! That is an amazing story. i had the same thing happen when i was raising T. Kareliinii morphs, but I was less fortunate and mine died. I felt and still do feel bad about it. Yet, now i always take stock of every newt before I put something in the tank.

I'm glad to see the little guy made it with only a small injury. Good thing is now he is easy to spot !!! He does look kind of cute though, like he's winking all the time.

Is that where the name Popeye comes from? Pop-eye???? It never ever EVER crossed my mind......
Anyway, great to see it´s doing well, he deserves being bred in the future, he´s a survivor!

I want to update on Popeye: he was doing great, just like all the other newts. A few weeks ago he stopped eating much, which didn't alarm me as all my Tylos do that in winter, but then he started looking dehydrated and my best ministrations worked to no avail...he perished yesterday, 2-13-11. He gave us a good run, with a squished brain! I only wish he'd lived long enough to mate...he obviously had survivor's genes.

Sorry to hear about your loss Dawn. He did very well to survive so long, thank you for giving him the opportunity to do so.

Sorry for your loss & also thought I would say how brave it was for you to admit to the story. we are all here to help each other but sometimes we all do something silly but may not feel we can post about it for fear of being judged which of course is not the case on here! SO thanks for sharing :happy:

Sad about your little guy hope your ok.

Yeah, it wasn't anything I was proud of, but I was so impressed with the newt's survival abilities, I wanted to share that.

Were all human and we all make mistakes, my worst was losing my siamese (betta) fish could not find him anywhere in my tank years ago and thought he had died and the bristlenoses had eaten his body up was so sad as he was my favourite, cannot tell you how bad I felt when I next got my siphon pump out for the next tank clean and saw my siamese was wrapped around the tube he was so friendly and was always getting in the way of tank cleaning, felt so bad.

I had a newly morphed FBN that escaped and dried up. I found her and she was just like a corn flake. Dried, crispy and done. I thought it was impossible for there to even be a spark of life left... but I soaked her in water. I'm glad I didn't accidentally snap any parts off... she started to move in a few minutes and soak up water.
She looked normal after a while.
then her limbs started coming off... they were dead. She lost her tail, back left leg up to the knee, and her fingers, the top of her head and her eyesight...
I was so sad and upset. I set up a tiny tank for her... a carrier...
She started to get fungus on the ends where she lost parts. I put a bit of amoxicillin powder in her water... and changed it once a day. She had a small rock and moss to sit on.
it got worse.
I put the amoxicillin powder directly on her stumps.
I have a picture of her sitting in the kitchen on a towel getting her "treatments" (I might find it in my skydrive someday again...)
she was obviously blind... but she ate. She then caught a fruit fly while I was watching... a flying regular one that stopped to walk on her moss... without her eyes! (the top of her head was damaged too...)
her leg started growing back and her fingers.
that was 3 years ago almost. Everything came back, she can see, and her fingers are all there... she's a bit lighter, kindof grey more than the rest and had a small circle on the top of her head.
Her left foot, the 2 middle toes are more connected than most and are a bit stubbier. That's the only difference. She's fine. Her name is Backpacker.
She's a miracle.

Oh, and one more thing... if you count and are one short, you can put a damp washcloth on the floor and the newt will find it, go in it and be there in the morning when you check. I love that it works as well as it does.. I've accidentally found that out long ago, and had to use it once to *retrieve* a missing Newt. Luckily it hasn't happened in about 4.5 years!

PowerNewt said:

Oh, and one more thing... if you count and are one short, you can put a damp washcloth on the floor and the newt will find it, go in it and be there in the morning when you check. I love that it works as well as it does.. I've accidentally found that out long ago, and had to use it once to *retrieve* a missing Newt. Luckily it hasn't happened in about 4.5 years!

Click to expand...

That's quite a story, well done you!
You know, I was wondering, when it comes to the miracle of caudata migrations to the vernal pools (sometimes several miles), their ability to find water just like the wet towel trick you describe, it reminds me of the ability of red eared sliders (turtles) who are able to find a breedind pond / river by smelling water from a far distance.... are caudates known to do that too? I bet they do!

They must have some way to sense water, smell or maybe they all have tiny dowsing sticks hidden in their pockets! LoL..