How to make life happy for a newt...

Hello

Yesterday I found a newt in my garden, which I'm assuming is either a Triturus vulgaris or a Triturus helveticus. The local park apparently has newts and the neighbourhood children occasionally bring them home, which is how he's ended up in my garden, I think! I gather that newts are protected species in Britain, but in any case I don't want to harm him or to keep him as a pet. I'd be interested to hear any ideas of how to make my vegetable garden a happy place for a newt! For a start I don't have any open water in the garden - is it necessary for newts to have this to thrive? Secondly, what does he eat? Will he be able to find a habitat in my garden that will enable him to survive?

When I first found him he was lying on his back and looked quite dead, but last night he was crawling around my back doorstep and looked reasonably happy! I'd like to keep him that way!

Thanks for any advice you can give

Louise

Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

well it probably isn't best to put him in your graden because of birds, snakes,and many other amphibian enemys but if you are desperate to keep him their I would add a large water bowl or tub fore them cause they NEED water to survive and to escape predators and you can feed him worms

Hi Louise, it’s the time of year when adult newts take to their breeding ponds in the UK. If it’s ended up in your garden it’s either lost or has, as you’ve suggested been placed there by someone. Apart from the spring/summer period Triturus (or Lissotriton as they are now known) live terrestrial lifestyles and a garden setting with plenty of hiding spots will suit it fine. However its urge to breed will drive it towards its breeding ground. If the local park has a suitable pond already used by newts I would suggest releasing it there.

(Message edited by aartse_tuyn on May 24, 2006)

Christopher – whilst I admire your desire to give advice you should only really offer it on topics that you have sound knowledge on. There are very few gardens in the UK that are habitats for snakes and as Louise states, she doesn’t have a pond so the “amphibian enemies” you speak of are unlikely. There is a great amount of inaccuracy in your post, which could easily be taken as fact by a casual reader.

I understand that you are only trying to be helpful but you should channel that enthusiasm into learning and understanding before giving advice to others. Telling people to put bowls of water in their garden and feed wild newts worms is not helpful.

i believe in america it is different as far as having snakes and other predators that feed on newts.since you live over in the uk then you should truly know

just alot of us dont know how much different the ecology in the uk is like here in america it is VERY different...see i learned something totally new and very cool about the uk..

and your right it is a learning experience.

Thank you, Mark, good advice all around.

Thanks to you all - it's good to know that he should be reasonably happy in my garden provided I keep the wild bits wild! But Mark, as far as releasing him in the park goes, can you give me any advice on how I should catch him first? I've read that newts release toxins from their skin and that handling them also stresses the newt.

Thanks

Louise

Newts range in toxicity from distasteful to downright deadly. Fortunately newts in the UK are more on the distasteful side and are no danger to you. Just remember to wash your hands after handling it.

Newts can get stressed from handling and they have sensitive skins which can easily be damaged by hot hands. Simply place it in a small plastic tub lined with damp tissue paper for its journey to the pond.