I wrote the below post to a turtle group that I belong to it was written yesterday while the one that was mostly eaten was still alive. Right now 3 are still alive - 2 look relatively unscathed and 1 has a raw stump for the end of his tail - I hope he pulls through he otherwise looks healthy. I did put frozen blood worms in their tank today but I don't think they are eating and 2 are hiding behind the filter and 1 is hanging out on the platform. I have seen them swimming or more like squirming about in the tank.
I live outside Philadelphia and would love to find a rescue for them or a permanent home. I will keep them if I can't find them a home. I just couldn't stand the thought of them being eaten alive.
Any help on the care of fire bellied newts would be appreciated. I am completely clueless - I own turtles and tortoises. When I did handle I put on latex gloves so that my oils didn't touch them - that was to get them out from behind the filter - but they just went back so I figure they want to hide there.
Jen
Once again after swearing off pet stores I went into an aquarium shop to see
if they had duckweed - they didn't but what I did see had me so upset. There
was 4 baby fire bellied newts in an aquarium with turtle hatchlings - RES,
Map, and Soft Shell hatchlings. The Newts were pretty worse for the wear being
nibbled to death by the turtles. I asked one of the guys in the shop and he
said most of the newts died that 3 were still living but they hadn't had a
chance to remove them from the tank. I asked another shop clerk and he said they
were basically dead anyway they were a bad batch of newts so he wasn't going
to waste his time. I left the store but couldn't stand thinking of the poor
newts - my parents (who care for my turtles when I am flying) told me I
better not go back and get them. Of course I went back to the store - there were
actually 4 still alive - one has most of his tale eaten off and his foot has
been eaten but he still seems to be swimming okay - he was hiding in a little
hole in the basking ramp from the turtles. the other 3 were up on the ramp
away from the turtle nibbling too. So I bought them and took them to my condo -
my turtles are at my parents. Right now I quickly set up a 5 gallon tank for
them with a new filter and a basking ramp and a gallon and a half of water.
They seem to be doing okay - 3 including the one missing his limb are hanging
out on the ramp and the 4th is behind the filter but he doesn't seem to be
stuck since he has come out once and swam around. I have a basking light on a
timer to go on from 7 am to 7 pm for them. I bought some newt food and put a
pinch in the water but I think they are too stressed to eat right now with
the change in environment. I am just hoping they will survive.
Does anybody on the list have any fire bellied newts - I am going to google
them to see if I can find anything more out about them - I never wanted newts
- but I couldn't stop thinking about them being slowly eaten bit by bit. So I
guess I am going to be a newt mom as well as a turtle and tortoise mom if
the newts survive.
Jen
I live outside Philadelphia and would love to find a rescue for them or a permanent home. I will keep them if I can't find them a home. I just couldn't stand the thought of them being eaten alive.
Any help on the care of fire bellied newts would be appreciated. I am completely clueless - I own turtles and tortoises. When I did handle I put on latex gloves so that my oils didn't touch them - that was to get them out from behind the filter - but they just went back so I figure they want to hide there.
Jen
Once again after swearing off pet stores I went into an aquarium shop to see
if they had duckweed - they didn't but what I did see had me so upset. There
was 4 baby fire bellied newts in an aquarium with turtle hatchlings - RES,
Map, and Soft Shell hatchlings. The Newts were pretty worse for the wear being
nibbled to death by the turtles. I asked one of the guys in the shop and he
said most of the newts died that 3 were still living but they hadn't had a
chance to remove them from the tank. I asked another shop clerk and he said they
were basically dead anyway they were a bad batch of newts so he wasn't going
to waste his time. I left the store but couldn't stand thinking of the poor
newts - my parents (who care for my turtles when I am flying) told me I
better not go back and get them. Of course I went back to the store - there were
actually 4 still alive - one has most of his tale eaten off and his foot has
been eaten but he still seems to be swimming okay - he was hiding in a little
hole in the basking ramp from the turtles. the other 3 were up on the ramp
away from the turtle nibbling too. So I bought them and took them to my condo -
my turtles are at my parents. Right now I quickly set up a 5 gallon tank for
them with a new filter and a basking ramp and a gallon and a half of water.
They seem to be doing okay - 3 including the one missing his limb are hanging
out on the ramp and the 4th is behind the filter but he doesn't seem to be
stuck since he has come out once and swam around. I have a basking light on a
timer to go on from 7 am to 7 pm for them. I bought some newt food and put a
pinch in the water but I think they are too stressed to eat right now with
the change in environment. I am just hoping they will survive.
Does anybody on the list have any fire bellied newts - I am going to google
them to see if I can find anything more out about them - I never wanted newts
- but I couldn't stop thinking about them being slowly eaten bit by bit. So I
guess I am going to be a newt mom as well as a turtle and tortoise mom if
the newts survive.
Jen
