Question: ID this newt (or what ever it is)

[napoleon]

I found it in a lake, trying to get to shore. Its about 2 inches from snout to tail. Orange belly. Croatia.

Any info on him?

 

[froggy]

Its and alpine newt - Mesotriton alpestris.

 

[Jennewt]

Yes, a newt:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Triturus/T_alpestris.shtml
I'm not sure which subspecies.

 

[napoleon]

OK, thanks guys. I looked it up and think its most likely alpestris. Are they endangered (can I take them home)? I have a few aquariums, african dwarf frogs... so I'm not an aquatic beginner. Any intresting links for the care of these little creatures?

 

[froggy]

The link above (in Jen Macke's post) has good care information. Your african dwarf frog aquarum is a no-go as it will be too warm and the frogs may become newt food. I don't know how the law stands with regards to taking native amphibians in Croatia, but if you want to keep newts I would encourage you to leave the wild newts where they are and try to track down captive bred animals of a species that interests you (there are paenty of breeders on this site). That way you don't damage wild populations and will have more time to research and setup enclosures for the species you choose, as well as getting healthy animals used to captive conditions.

Chris

 

[napoleon]

Could you tell me something about it's lifecycle? It was found in this lake (on the far right side swimming/trying to get to shore):

It's an artificial lake (has a lot of tadpoles cca 2 inches big, lots of young frogs, toads). Its for swimming now, then they put fish in it for fishing and than the lake gets drained in a few months time and they fill it up again at may next year. Can these little creatures survive till adulthood here? The locals say there never was so many frogs in here (they never saw a newt btw). The depth is about a meter on the sides than goes to 15 in the mid and the far end).

 

[Jennewt]

In a nutshell, the life cycle is this. The adults live during the summer/fall/winter either on land or in water (depending on their genetics + local conditions). In the spring, all adults are in water where they mate and lay eggs. The larvae grow up in water and go through metamorphosis, usually during their first spring/summer. After metamorphosis, they may stay in the water, or may move out of the water to land.

I don't think they are endangered, but whether it is legal to keep it would depend on the laws of the local country/state/town. And I agree with Chris that you should not keep it in the same tank with your frog. Alpestris are able to live on land, so it may be possible to release it to a nearby woods. It looks like an adult or near-adult, so it's probably not this year's offspring (unless it was a very fast-growing one!). So it probably came into this pond from some nearby wooded habitat.

 

[napoleon]

And what do they eat when you keep them terrestrial? How do ppl ship these little creatures abroad?

Thanks for the replies every1!

 

[napoleon]

Me again. I was in the lake again. Didn't see any adults, but many, many near metamorphosed ones. They are still light gray and have gills, about 5 cm in length! They hide in the shady sides of the lake, and I keep wondering how the manage to survive. I guess every 2nd gets
trod on See where the majority of the people are? Well, thats where the young ones grow up!

An intresting observation! I read "temps up to 23°C, recommended 13-18". Well, in this pond, the temps are around 25-26°C!
Intresting

Now, I was wondering, since the temp should be ok at my home, what about taking the metamorphs and getting them used to being in water and bloodworms from the early age.
Or do they need a land area?

 

[Azhael]

Again, first check the local laws. In the majority of Europe, all caudate species are protected and collection(and even disturbing them) can result in a fine....quite a big fine.
Until you know for sure if it´s legal or not i wouldn´t dare take any home. Even if they ar elegal to catch and keep, i couldn´t agree more with Chris...it would be far better to leave the wild animals alone where they belong and try to find some CB ones.

 

[napoleon]

OK!
I better get a diving mask and watch them in their natural habitat:happy: