Sad Day

I felt like sharing my sad day with some others who would understand.
My newt, Big, died today.

I've had him since I just turned 16. I'll be turning 38 in October. So....he's been around for quite a while....almost 22 years. He's been with me for most of my life! When I got him, I never thought I'd be sharing him with a child of my own. It was a sad morning burying him in the back yard with my daughter this morning.

I took him with me to college, to various apartments, when I moved to Seattle, and back to Connecticut.

He leaves behind his two friends, named Medium and Little (although it's hard to tell them apart now.) I've had them since I was 18, so about 20 years. They seem very healthy. It's definitely less sad having them around. I'd hate to have to clean out the tank for good.

Sorry for your loss. You have obviously been doing a great job to keep them to such a healthy old age.

condolences. by the way- what marvellous names your newts have)

I'm sorry to hear it. It makes me think of a couple of very special (20+ year) newts I've lost. I commend you on giving them such good care all these years.

What kind of newt was Big?

Thanks for all the condolences.

I was never quite sure of exactly what kind of newt he was. The remaining two are almost definitely Japanese Firebelly with the classic look. Big had a brighter belly, pointier tail, and no pronounced bumps on the side of his neck.

I've looked through a lot of pictures on different occasions, but never was able to find one that matched all the characteristics. Not quite Japanese or Chinese firebelly...not quite warty, etc. He did get very chubby like I've seen some Chinese firebellies as they get older.

I don't have any good pictures, and I guess it doesn't matter much anyway right now. If I find a photo I can upload it, I'll post it in this thread.

It says a lot when you can keep them that long, which is almost certainly beyond their reasonable life expectancy in the wild (predation, etc). Well done, that was a lucky newt to be in your care.

It's funny. I feel like I have to come clean since everyone is saying I took great care of them. I think I do a lot of things wrong and it may be partly luck and partly robust newts that helped them live so long.

I have always had some brass figurines in with them, which seems risky. I have used a filter during part of their lives, but ended up switching to no filter. (I did it mostly because I felt the constant hum must be awful for them.) I just clean out the tank completely when it gets too dirty and use fresh spring water to fill it, which I know is not recommended. I have some sharp amethyst in there, which is probably a bad idea. I've only fed them reptomin for all these years. (I've thought about trying brine shrimp, but have been afraid to change anything.) The water temperature has probably gone as high as 88 and down to 65 at times.

About the only thing I've done right is to handle them as little as possible after the first few years.

One last story, I have to share. We were moving back to CT from Seattle soon after 9-11, and I had planned to take them on the plane. At the last minute I learned that that would not be allowed, when I asked on some forum (maybe this one) if the pressure change would be harmful for them. The airline wouldn't budge. Some people on the forum suggested mailing them...which was just out of the question for me. I considered smuggling them for a few days. I thought I could bag them and hide it down my pants when I went through security and then put them in a small tank once I was on the plane. Then, luckily, I approached our movers, and they agreed to take them and feed them. The movers were 5 days late and I was so worried...not about our belongings, but about the newts in their small portable plastic tank on a hot truck. I was so happy to have them arrive alright. And glad I didn't get arrested for having newts hidden in my pants as I went through security.

From your description, I suspect that either Big was a female, or a different subspecies/race. Given the longevity and pointed tail, I suspect it was a Japanese firebelly.

Although your husbandry isn't exactly what I would recommend, it obviously works. Reptomin is not a bad food, as long as it's fresh and the animals willingly eat it (many won't). Spring water is recommended, but total clean-outs aren't. But JFB are hardy enough to tolerate such things.

The only thing that makes me cringe is the thought of them on a 5+ day voyage on a moving truck. I really think that careful overnight shipping (or airport-to-airport transit, like Delta Dash) would have been less risky. You must have had some wonderful movers!