How fast are newts

[elizabeth]

Hi all,

I know that newts (efts) move pretty slowly on land. Does anyone know how slow they move or where I might find that info? Also, is there one particular species that is particularly slow or slower than others?

Thanks

 

[(unregistered]

do you plan on starting an underground/black market newt racing team?

lol, sorry, but i just cant think of why you'd want to know this.

 

[elizabeth]

Since you ask, anonymous unregistered guest, I am writing a book on exceptionally slow creatures in the animal world and I believe newts may be the slowest amphibians. I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some facts on just how slow they are.

 

[(unregistered]

frogs dont walk very fast. are you going by swimming speed or walking speed? or just average. but since you only have 3 classes of amphibians to choose from, i guess it wouldnt be difficult to pick one. i think my favorite slow creature is the sloth... sloths rock

 

[mark]

At evening and in the morning my mandarins (tylototriton shanjing) are often found either in the water fully submerged, resting on floating plants or at the waters edge basking. If i approach the tank suddenly while they are basking, they flip round to face the water and show an incredible turn of speed as they sprint into the water then dive to the bottom (where they will remain until confident enough to rememerge).

However if surprised on dry ground away from water while they do duck or turn their heads they do not show this fast scurrying or sprinting behavior.

i have also observed the following on several occasions:

when two newts meet head to head, there is a brief pause before one newt flips round and scurries rapidly away (but not into the water) in the same manner as above.

Thats probably totally useless for your purposes but i found it interesting to observe as usually these newts are very slow deliberate movers

Mark (newtboyuk)

 

[(unregistered]

their metabolism is so slow that they cant maintain fast rates of speed. sudden bursts, perhaps, but not for long periods. and forgive me when i said there are 3 classes, there are 3 ORDERS.