Need help on baby newts...

[becky]

Hi,

I recently rescued some baby smooth newts from a friends pond, and decided to raise the little guys myself through the winter and release them near the pond I am building in my garden.

I have had them for about a month now and everything has been going really well. They are growing really fast, one of them has now morphed and is in a big tank all on his own.

He is doing well and has a nice environment but I'm at a loss at what to feed him, as he is only about 3.5cm long tip to tail! Can anyone give me some advice?<font face="arial,helvetica"></font>

 

[ian]

so what make you consider take a newt from a pond is a rescue? Some risk being in there?

Anyway, you may try fruitflies, springtails, handfeeding finely chopped earthworm. Black worm in a bowl or handfeeding bloodworm. White worms. all these might be good food for morphs.

I have only tried fruitflies, springtails, earthworm and bloodworm with my morphs.

Maybe someone with more experience can give you more advise

 

[jeff]

well I guess the tank is better then the pond in some respects, but I agree that the newts might have done fine left alone. i would recomend bloodworms and earthworms for them. also they need alot more, check up on http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/faq.shtml for more info

 

[becky]

The pond was being drained and filled in, so yes there was a risk to the newts.

Thanks for the help

I'll try the blood worm and earth worm today.

 

[ian]

it might take several weeks before the newts want to accept any food. Just keep trying.

 

[al]

This is not an uncommon situation even in the USA. I know folks with garden ponds that run into caudate (Ambystomid sp.) and anuran eggs in their pond and they are doing seasonal drainage or cleaning. There is much debate over relocation of the eggs/larva to natural wild ponds. It appears relocating can cause devastation to the natural population in that pond if the new species being introduced is not typically seen in the pond. Even if the pond is a breeding pond for that species, then you run into mixing different genetic animals to the system that natural or unnatural barries prevented this. This could be good or bad (depending on the Natural history of the ponds). I have reared spotted salamanders that were in a nieghbor's pond, but gave them to educational facilities to remain captive species for educational purposes. Be careful with releasing anything in the wild after you reared them in captivity. The debate continues of what impact is created on genetic selection while in captivity. There is less predation and culling of weaker larva. Amphibians will lay an abundance of eggs in order for a few dozen (if that many) to make it to adulthood. This ensures the strongest specimens survives (strongest genetic profile). As enthusiest and keepers, there are no easy answers. I would enjoy them, keep them if you can, or give them to others that will give them good homes to remain in captivity.
Just my two cents.