should i force my newt to like water?

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chrisrolinski

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Chris
I have a eastern red spotted newt, and have had 'it' (unsure if male or female) for a year now. It was kept in the pet shop in stagnant tepid water. When I first took it home i kept it in an all water setup which it hated - it would sit on the log and hug its small body close to the log. I then tired 2 thirds land and one thid water and it is a lot happier. So for 8 months it just seems to hang around under and upon mossy logs and play around in damp compost. I doesn't go near the water. Even at night (I have checked with a torch). It eats well despite being smallish, I am just worried that as it is no longer an eft it shouldn't really be on land. Should I take the land away and force it to like water?

Any advice gratefully recieved!!:confused:
 
I wouldn't force it to become aquatic. Even adult N.viridescens will occasionally go through a terrestrial phase if they have been kept in inadequate conditions (ex. pet stores). As long as it looks healthy then I wouldn't worry. Also, Notos are small by nature, so that shouldn't worry you. Eventually, it will decide that water isn't always bad and it will return to an aquatic life (mine are totally aquatic). Good Luck!:D
 
Thank you for your reply, I'm a bit precious about my newt - I want it to last a good few years!

I'll let it stay on land!
 
I found it in a pet shop. There were a few of them (around 5/6) in a small plastic tank with dirty water - in a heater cabinet alongside tanks of tropical amphibians.

I did a bit or research about them, and came back a few days later to buy one (it was about £4.50) - I wish I had bought two now. I am kind of looking for a companion for him/her. Though now I am worried about introducing parasites etc.

I haven't seen them stocked again. I suspect few people bought them, they did look sickly, and were fairly cheap 'stock'.
 
What color is your newt? I'm wondering what stage it's at (eft?) If it's red, it definitely still wants to live on land. If it's green, it could go either way, though I'd let the newt "tell" me what it wanted by observing its preference.

Sorry, I reread your post where you say it's no longer an eft. I'd still provide the environment it seems to prefer, but give it a water area where it can make its own choice, so it can transition on its own schedule if that's what it wants.
 
Thanks,

I have decided to shift around the tank a bit so that the water is deeper, and the landmass slightly smaller -with moss, logs and compost. I'm thinking that if I heavily plant the deeper water (8 inches instead of 4 inches) with grass type waterplants it would make it less threatening? Perhaps if most of the watermass was chocked with waterplants the newt would find it better to walk/crawl and swim through?
 
I think that, in general, newts like it when there's a lot of vegetation to hide and rest in.
 
I've been looking for one of these ... about how big is yours and how old (to get an idea of size and how long the eft stage is)?
 
The eft stage can last between 1 and 7 years.
 
I am not sure how old mine is - it is (with tail) about 3-4 inches long. This weekend I went out and got lots of coldwater plants and heavily planted out its tank. Now it climbs around all over them, out in 'open water' so no longer spends all its time on the cork islands.

I got mine in a pet shop, and will be getting a second one through a stockist.

They are lovely little things.

My favourite newt - much more so than the bigger ones
 
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