Disappearing newt trick

[lorna]

I've been meaning to ask this for awhile...

Last August I went on vacation for a couple weeks and when I got back one of my Japanese Firebelly newts had disappeared from the firebelly tank. Now I had one of my best friends coming in to feed them which she did and everything was fine, but I think she may have miscounted or not known that there were supposed to be three in the tank and not just two.

Now I tore my room apart even though I doubt that the little guys actually escaped, because it's a snap lid with no gaps. I did think that maybe my friend took the entire top off and didn't put it back on correctly, but there's a trap door that also snaps shut in the top so there wouldn't be much of a reason. And he was the climber of the group-- always plastered to the side of his tank playing raptor, testing everything for weaknesses. He was also the smallest of the trio.

Now here's my question. Do you think that maybe, the other two-- who don't really have THAT much size on him-- could have had a snack? Do they do this? I don't remember reading anything about newts being cannibalistic when full grown. There's nothing else living in the tank with them, nothing he could have become stuck in (and I checked everything in the tank and even under rocks in case something had shifted)...

I've pretty much given up the search to find him, but still find myself wondering at the mystery of it all.

Please, help a newt mommy put her mind to rest!!

PS I'm writing this on the sly at work...

... so please overlook typos and such.

 

[john]

My opinion: escaped or died. Probably the latter. It could have decomposed rather quickly. I doubt the others ate it.

 

[jeff]

I had one dissapear a few weeks back, but It was strange beacuse this one never really tried to climb out before. It happended after a tank mate became sick and was removed. It was almost like she decided that it was time to move. Very strange, but they can apparently squeeze thorugh even the most secure of lids.

 

[jennifer]

I think it probably escaped. Newts have been known to disappear from tanks as secure as Alcatraz. It would be unusual for newts of similar size to eat each other. It's quite often the case that you never find the "remains".

 

[ali]

Definitely sounds like an escape to me. I think I know the type of lid you're talking about. Zoo-med. I use one on my hamster cage. They do have a slight wiggle and would be just enough room to allow a cynops orientalis of even rather large size to escape.

 

[lorna]

Well, I wish that knowing that it probably escaped is better than knowing his tank mates ate him, but it kinda isn't. Like I did something wrong.

At least he got a little explore in. Who knows, maybe he got out into the world!!!

Thanks guys for responding.