Considering Tylototritons

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mwillecoevo

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Hi everyone,
I'm a graduate trained biologist and current stay-at-home dad who's considering getting 1 or 2 Tylototriton verrucosus, since what I've read indicates that these are the best salamanders/newts to be kept in a semi-aquatic terrarium setup without excessive cooling requirements. Plus, they look really cool. I live in Akron, OH, in the US. I'd be glad for any advice I can get.

Thanks,
Marcus
 
Hey Marcus, welcome to the forums!
T.verrucosus is indeed a wonderful species but it´s not always easy to find captive-bred animals, and the wild-caught ones offered in the market are not good options, particularly for unexperienced keepers. Also, the legality of those importations is not so clear, and even if legal, they represent a threat (however small or large) to wild populations, and also means the deaths and suffering of countless animals because of the terribly unsuitable conditions they are imported in.
A couple of other things. T.verrucosus, at least some forms, can be almost exclusively aquatic rather than semi-aquatic. Sacrificing volume for complex terrestrial structures is often a waste.
You might also want to take a look at Pleurodeles waltl, which is incidentally a close relative to Tylototriton. They are much easier to find CB, very tolerant to a variety of conditions and temps and robust, personable and fascinating. Also, fully aquatic and very agressive eaters too. An excellent beginner species by all accounts.
 
I'm hoping to find a CB T. verrucosus, as I agree with your criticisms of WC ones. I'm not in a terrible hurry (though it would be nice to get started soon), and I've noticed a few of the North American members on this site have previously posted ads for CB T. verrucosus. I was thinking T. verrucosus would be better than Pleurodeles waltl, because I'd like to keep the tank in the living area of my home for easy viewing, rather than in the basement. Since the house can get above 72F (but is air conditioned), T. verrucosus seems like the most likely candidate for tolerating the conditions with maybe just a cooling fan to simulate winter cooling.

By the way, nice FSM avatar, Rodrigo. May you be forever touched by his noodley appendage.
 
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In the Name of the Pasta, and of the Sauce, and of the Holy Meatballs. R´amen!

72ºF is perfectly acceptable for P.waltl. Higher temps, 80ºF (or more) are tolerable, specially if there is a nocturnal drop in temperature. P.waltl is among the sub-desertic specialists, and only when things get really bad they resort to terrestrial aestivation. Since they inhabit almost exclusively still water masses that are highly exposed, they are one of the most (if not THE most) tolerant species in either direction (very, very cold, to dangerously high).
Anything that works for T.verrucosus works for P.waltl.
Of course it´s up to you which species you like best, i´m just trying to point out that if tolerance to highish temps is your main concern, both species are excellent options, but P.waltl, may be even superior in case of a heat wave, for example.

The conditions you describe are acceptable for a number of species that you might also want to consider, like Cynops pyrrhogaster, C.ensicauda, Hypselotriton cyanurus, Neurergus kaiseri...All of these are comfortable at 72ºF or somewhat higher, fully aquatic and easy to keep.
 
Interesting... Pleurodeles waltl seems from species descriptions to be more aquatic than T. verrucosus. I'd really like a species that makes effective use of a semi-aquatic tank, and several people on this site suggest a 50/50 aquatic/terrestrial tank for T. verrucosus, which is what I was thinking of making. Of the species you mentioned, do any of them fit this criteria as well as T. verrucosus?
 
Well....not really. Here is the thing. If conditions are adequate, all those species, including T.verrucosus, may remain fully aquatic even if a terrestrial option is available. They might make the odd incursion on land, specially at night, but for that, a piece of floating cork bark is more than sufficient. You can choose to keep them terrestrial for part of the year, this is ok, but as i say, if they are given options and left to choose, as long as conditions remain good, they often ignore the land.
The difference is that T.verrucosus tends to go terrestrial when temps drop below a certain level, whereas the rest of species, do so when temps get too high. In the conditions you describe, T.verrucosus should remain aquatic year-round.
 
Thanks, Otterwoman. I may be interested in taking a couple off your hands.
 
Good points, Rodrigo. With Neurergus kaiseri and C. ensicauda, I'd be worried about successfully caring for and breeding endangered species for my first newt project. Cynops pyrrhogaster isn't a bad option, and I've thought about it as well.
 
Cynops ensicauda are one of the more easily kept and bred species, and wild-caught adults are still readily available.
 
Both species are ridiculously easy to care for and reproduce. Their level of protection in the wild is irrelevant for captive populations, as they will never meet each other again. In fact all the species i´ve mentioned here are all extremely easy, undemanding and tend to breed like hairless, aquatic rabbits.
They are all also available CB.
Since temps are too high for shipping and all, plus you need to plan the tank, cycle it properly, etc, perhaps even set-up some food cultures, you have plenty of time to decide. Just know that any of those species would make an essentially equally excellent choice from all perspectives.
 
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