Question: Surprise Newts in Spring

First of all let me apologize if I am posting in the wrong area, I am new here but this just seemed to be the best place for my extremely odd situation. I recently moved onto a mountain in SW Virginia, our water supply is a gravity fed spring. Two days ago we started to have problems, no water, sporadic water, etc. You may see where this is going, maybe not. We opened up the water line to find one extremely mangled creature that I now know to likely be a red spotted newt (most likely?). That would have been bad and strange enough, but not three minutes later a completely intact newt came shooting out of the water line. This unfortunately continued and we 'shot' no less than four intact newts out of the water line. My husband and I are animal lovers and devastated at the death of these little creatures.

My main problem comes with one of them being still alive. I have thought to keep it at least until or if it recovers (two others alive at the time they came out of the line but barely have since died) and then rerelease it in hopefully a safer locale away from the spring pipe (which we are in the process of building a screen box around-an older filter in place had fallen away and we are assuming this is how they got in in the first place. Should I attempt to keep this obviously stressed and possibly dying creature and try to get it back to health or just take it to a natural setting and release it to natures whim? I am at a moral and emotional conundrum. I feel partially responsible for these critters but also fear I could do more harm than good trying to help.

Thank you in advance for any answers and/or suggestions.

Sarah in Snowflake

You posted in the right section.

Depending on how bad of shape the newt is in, I'd just let it be. That is a lot of stress being forced out of one of those pipes and then being kept in a captive situation. Others might think differently.

Thank you for the reply. Thought I would post a bit of an update. I honestly don't know if this newt is supposed to be kept in water or not since on a dial-up connection I am having trouble finding good photos for id and what stage of life this one might be at though since it was down in the water? Currently it is in a plastic container with water some rocks and moss and seems to be improving, at least a little. It has its front legs under it and supporting it whereas before it was just laying flat and listless only moving slightly if touched. I am trying to avoid touching it as much as possible because I really don't know anything about caring for these animals and having to learn as quick as I can.

Still trying to decide on the release issue. I don't intend to keep it as a pet but still am troubled releasing a injured and/or distressed creature back into the wild.

Sarah in Snowflake

Hi neighbor!

If the animal is alive, and not physically damaged, the best bet is to release it back near where it belongs.

If it's a red spotted (also called an eastern) newt eft (bright orange, not green), then it should be put in a terrestrial area. Efts do not normally live in the water. This time of year, with the sporadic rains we've been having, I'd bet it was washed into the spring area.

This critter is sort of a brown color with a mottling of lighter red brown color and a solid pale colored underbelly. When my husband installed the screens yesterday he said he found no less than four of them swimming in the holding tank we have up near the spring (a completely enclosed plastic tank, the only inlet and outlet to the tank are from the spring and the outlet to the house), these he released directly as none showed signs of distress. He also completely emptied the holding tank and let it refill from the spring after the screens and filters had been installed. The spring and tank by the way are nearly a half mile uphill from the house.

The one we got out of the line near the house, the one at this point still alive is about 4 inches long with another 2-3 of tail. All others that came out near the house were approximately the same size. I have hesitated to directly release the one we have as until this morning it had been so stunned as to hardly move even if touched. As of this morning it is responsive and much recovered at least to my untrained eyes. The plan is to hike up to a small stream area downslope of the spring (according to info here probably in the moist areas near the stream but not into the water, near enough if it needs to be in the water it can get there) and release it there later today.

Thank you to all for the suggestions.

Sarah in Snowflake

Sounds like a good plan. That species sounds like it's one of the dusky salamanders.