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<u>THE ACORN</u> (Agoura Hills, California) 25 January 07 Calabasas newt visitors take up unexpected residence - Family's swimming pool becomes a temporary haven (Marion Smith, Calabasas)
<font color="ffff00">Photo at URL below</font>}: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? Mama Newt took to the water in Marion Smith's Calabasas Highlands pool, finding it just right for her numerous babies. Before the Smith family had a chance to relocate them, Mama Newt had taken her merry band of babies elsewhere.
We have a small shallow swimming pool in the yard of our Calabasas Highlands home, only 3 feet to 5 feet deep, with an in-ground Jacuzzi attached. We designed it so we would use the very minimum amount of scarce resources (water, gas and electricity as well as nasty chemicals animals do not like), and we could also surround it with plants. It looks almost like a pond.
This year in May we were looking to see what critters had fallen into the pool, and there at the bottom was a large newt. We peered more intently and could see baby newts also. We carefully looked around--more babies were on the concrete. We used our swimming pool net and very gently touched our visitors. They were very much alive.
We took out the adult and some of the babies and put them next to the babies already on the concrete. We had no idea if the critters would survive in a pool that had chemicals. Well, the next day they were back in the pool. They liked the environment.
We phoned our swimming pool man to tell him a lady newt had taken up residence in the pool and was raising her children. However, on the third day we checked on our lodgers and they were all gone. Fortunately, we had taken photos of them.
We were delighted to host the family and will keep a lookout next May to see if they return.
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2007/0125/pets/057.html
<font color="ffff00">Photo at URL below</font>}: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? Mama Newt took to the water in Marion Smith's Calabasas Highlands pool, finding it just right for her numerous babies. Before the Smith family had a chance to relocate them, Mama Newt had taken her merry band of babies elsewhere.
We have a small shallow swimming pool in the yard of our Calabasas Highlands home, only 3 feet to 5 feet deep, with an in-ground Jacuzzi attached. We designed it so we would use the very minimum amount of scarce resources (water, gas and electricity as well as nasty chemicals animals do not like), and we could also surround it with plants. It looks almost like a pond.
This year in May we were looking to see what critters had fallen into the pool, and there at the bottom was a large newt. We peered more intently and could see baby newts also. We carefully looked around--more babies were on the concrete. We used our swimming pool net and very gently touched our visitors. They were very much alive.
We took out the adult and some of the babies and put them next to the babies already on the concrete. We had no idea if the critters would survive in a pool that had chemicals. Well, the next day they were back in the pool. They liked the environment.
We phoned our swimming pool man to tell him a lady newt had taken up residence in the pool and was raising her children. However, on the third day we checked on our lodgers and they were all gone. Fortunately, we had taken photos of them.
We were delighted to host the family and will keep a lookout next May to see if they return.
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2007/0125/pets/057.html