HELP! Found what I think is a Newt...

[Gazz]

Hi Guys,

So we found what we think is a Newt in our office (Blackpool in the UK) on Friday morning... it was shrivelled up and nearly dead. The guys in the office just put it outside, but I had to go bring it back inside and try to make it better....

So first port of call was to put it near some water because it was all dry and shrivelled..was hardly moving at all... That worked and by this point I had done some research and think that it MAY be a female Palmate Newt...although I'm not sure because she has a red stripe under her belly.

Either way, I've brought it home to make fully sure it's ok before releasing back outside... kept it in a makeshift habitat... and I've woken this morning to find that its tail has gone black.... now, I don't know if this is because I gripped the tail too rough when I transported her or something else.... I really don't want to release her if she's going to die.

So my questions to you guys are as follows!

Is it a Newt?
What species is it?
Have I damaged her tail?
Will it get better?
What shall I feed her? (I currently and completely randomly have a jar full of mosquito larvae)

Any help or guidance would be great... thanks in advance,

Garry

EDIT - pictures haven't uploaded to the post... will post them separately.

 

[Gazz]

This is as we found her

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2321965/found.jpg

This is her on the saucer

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2321965/rescue1.JPG

Saucer again

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2321965/rescue2.JPG

Home in the makeshift habitat

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2321965/rescue3.JPG

Poorly tail

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2321965/tail.JPG

 

[Bellabelloo]

Looks like a little Smooth newt :-

http://www.surrey-arg.org.uk/SARG/08000-TheAnimals/SARGSpeciesData.asp?Species=Smooth_Newt

There is hopefully a pond near by that you can release it by

 

[Gazz]

Hey Julia! Thanks for the quick response! She sure does look like a Smooth! Progress

I'm worried about the tail though...do you think I've permanently damager her?

 

[Otterwoman]

To me, it just looks like she's shedding the skin on her tail. That is normal and newts do it periodically. It will come off soon (just the outer layer of skin). She looks plump and healthy.