Triturus cristatus

[mike]

I'm considering legally obtaining some T. cristatus (from Charles Snell), but before I do, I would be gateful for advice on the following questions - I have read the caresheet at Caudate Central but I would still welcome opinions of experienced keepers:

1. Minimum tank size for 1/2 pairs?

2. I tend to have problems keeping temperatures for my newts as low as I would like, so is 75F/24C in summer and 68F/20C in winter acceptable for this species? Yes, I know it's not ideal. Adults would be hibernated at 40F/4C for breeding.

3. If I was sucessful in breeding this species, would I be able to pass on/sell at reasonable prices the offspring to others? What paperwork would I require?

Thanks,

 

[matthew]

I know, I know this doesn't belong in this thread but can I just say publicly I think your Website is great Mike - by which I mean the way you have set out what you do that works with the species you already have.
I'll mention your question to someone who may be able to help.

 

[mike]

Thanks. I should have mentioned wrt question 3 that I am in the UK.

 

[leonardo]

I think that the minimal tank size for two pairs of cristatus is about 80liters (80X35X35h cm) set up as a semiacquatic habitat..half water and half land...as cristatus is more terrestrial than carnifex (the subspecies that I keep)...

teperatures could be a problem...as if you want to breed them I think that you have to keep them for a coulpe of months at about 5/8°C...
24°C in summer are not too high...even if 22 would be better..

I have no idea about the "right price" for this species in the UK!sorry...

bye
Leo

 

[morg]

Mike
although cooler temperatures are preferable, I had the temperatures in my newt room reach 24c for a short while this year with no signs of stress in any of the newt species I keep.
My own preference for semi aquatic set ups is to fix a removable shelf above water level so as not to cut back on the amount of water in the tank.
I also find that for the larger newts such as cristatus, larger leaved plants are used for egg laying, with creeping jenny and java fern being prefered to Elodea etc.

 

[morg]

I would like to just add that if the land shelf is large enough in the semi aquatic set up,crested newts can be kept in it year round, but my own preference is to remove the newts to a fully terrestrial set up in late summer, after they have left the water, where they would stay untill the following spring.

 

[justin]

are you buying adults or eggs from charles i have been buying eggs of snell for about 9 years now i have never seen great crested forsale in this country so i recon you might have problems selling them they do prefer low temps but like morg said the tempertures this year were very high i had no problems

 

[duncan]

Morg,
I was wondering how you make your land shelves for your tanks. I have a fairly large tank (about 1.3 m in length) that I'm going to be moving my T. cristatus to in the near future and would like to add some "land" in this fashion. Any help in design would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Duncan