Mkay, I need some juvie tips

[elizabeth]

So, I'd like some advice on raising my C.O. juvies. Mostly on terrarium/food/feeding things like that. I'll tell you what I have, and I'd really appreciate any tips of making it better.

Terrarium: Dirt on the bottom, a large reptile pool in the middle, with rocks to bask on and a stick leading out of it. Over the dirt is various live and dried vegetation. Mostly grass and leaves. There are various hiding places made by rocks and a clam shell. There's a small, plastic dish made from a cut fish flakes top, with fish flakes on it just in case the bugs eat it.

Food: I dumped various small bugs in there. In actuality, the only bugs in there are baby woodlice and very small worms living in the dirt below. They seem to be hiding in the grass though, I can't see them anymore.

Feeding: Both newts are freshly...well...morphed, the oldest being under a week, the newest just today. Neither of them have an intrest in food yet. (Tried feeding them woodlice on tweezers with no success.) I was going to dump a lot of bugs in there over the winter and let them just hunt themselves...but it seems all the bugs have hidden themselves to where even I can't see them. I dont know if this is going to be difficult for the newts or not...

Any comments or tips are greatly appreciated.

 

[joeri]

Hey Elizabeth,

I'll give you a number of tips. You can also browse http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/16.html?1125606945 for more information as several people have been posting reports there about there methods (incl. pictures).

1) Newts don't just eat out of tweezers just like that. It takes time for them to learn it but once they know it, it's the best way to make sure they all eat. If you use life food they will learn it faster, especially with small wrinkling worms like white worms. When they grow a bit larger you can used very fine chopped nightcrawlers.

2) Small foods that I used with success for my c.o. morfs are: fruitflies that can't fly, springtails, white worms, frozen mosquito larves (red) and small bugs; maybe it were woodlice; I'm not sure.
Fruitflies are the best if you want your morfs to hunt because they don't go underground; however; they escape easy through the smallest cracks.

3)If you leave a small peace of fruit or vegetable in the terrarium bugs and flies will go there often and your newts will learn that quickly. However do replace the fruit daily to avoid smell/fungus/...

4) If your morfs can find food on land it's unlikely for them to head into the water. So it's a must to keep a part of the land area moist (and a part dry - let them choose).

5) It's not uncommon for newly morfed newts not to eat for a while. They should be eating within a few weeks though.

That's what I thought of for now.
Good luck with your babies

Joeri