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Ribbed newts in the wild.

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bob

Guest
Hi folks. I live in Portugal and recently moved, enabling me to set up an aquarium. Always a fan of Ribbed newts, I decided to attempt to acquire some. I was in their territory, near the Spanish border at Christmas and searched in waters that I knew had some breeding a few years ago. It was below zero at night, and I found no adults at all. The larvae I found could be Ribbed or young fire salamanders. These are about an inch long - how can I tell what species they are please? Also, do Ribbed newts hibernate by burying deep in the mud, or out of water under stones? I'll try and come up with some photos soon. Thanks.
 
O

omicron

Guest
You cannot take pleurodeles from the wild man...it´s illegal.
You can´t actually take any amphibian....or reptile . Set those larvae free and get some captive bred ones...i´m sure you´ll find someone here who will send you some.
 
B

bob

Guest
Hi Azhael, I'm a bit surprised by your reaction as you do not know the circumstances behind my intentions. The area where I am hoping to take the newts is going to be completely redeveloped by the new high speed rail link between Badajoz and Evora (Madrid-Lisbon), which incidentally is being carried out by Spanish contractors, even into Portuguese territory. All amphibian life will be gone within the year at this location. Any animals taken will have an infinitely better chance of survival, and eventually their offspring will be released into the wild, probably into new habitat created in the Sintra Cascais Parque Natural. Some years ago I rescued a number of adult ribbed newts from a deep well close ot Lagos, which today is a housing estate. They were released in a similar well in an protected area which will not see development. In the United Kingdom, we often carry out newt rescues of this kind. I obtained the first licence in Scotland (under very strict controls) to carry out a similar scheme with crested newts (Triturus Cristasis). So, rather than criticise the act, perhaps you could help me figure out what species I have. There is pollution from a local marble quarry, and I am concerned that the ribbed newts have already been wiped out, and that the more robust salamanders are all that are left. Anyone knowing the area will testify to the alarming rate of development, and the urgency to identify and rescue the specias there.
 
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rodrigo

Guest
You just took me wrong man...i didn´t intend to sound rude. I was just stating the fact that you cannot take animals from the wild. Most ppl don´t know, so i was just reminding it just in case. Seriously..i wasn´t trying to judge you, actually just trying to be of help.

I think what you intend to do is great, as long as you have permits for it (don´t really care though...a good action is a good action).

To identify the species check caudata.org, and look into the Pleurodeles waltl section. You´ll find that they are eassily distinguished from salamandra larvae. Good luck
 
B

bob

Guest
Olá Rodrigo. Muchos gracias para ajudar - não ficei offendido - ficamos amigos o mesmo, está bien? Adios e abraço, Bob.
 
B

bob

Guest
Well I wasn't so smart after all - the larvae (six specimens of various sizes) that I rescued aren't what I thought they were at all. Given regular feeding, no predators and a large tank at room temperature they grew rapidly and began to metamorphose within weeks. During this time their dark blotching became more uniform, and the greenish areas turned to a golden-yellow.

This colouration, togther with their obvious preference for dry land on metamorphosing, confirmed them to be Salamandra (Fire Salamander) larvae. Although there are some still at the larvae stage, I'm sure they are all the same species.

The Ribbed Newt species looks to have disappeared from that source altogether, although I'm off there at the weekend, and I'll have a final look. Work commences in the next few weeks to drain the land prior to development, so this will be the last chance. The juveniles have been duly liberated in a safe woodland area close to a slow-moving stream.

While I see a few Forum members living in Spain, are there any living here in Portugal?
 
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