Tylototriton verrucosus

[greenwood09]

I purchased a captive bred tylototriton verrucosus in the spring of 2014. The newt was eating blackworms and earthworms all summer and growing nicely. Now all of a sudden the newt has stopped eating but is still very active and looks healthy. The newt is housed in a ten gallon tank in a semi-aquatic setup in the basement. The temperature in the basement is about 60 degrees F is it too cold?. Do I need a heater maybe to put in the water to get him to eat? I would appreciate any advice.

 

[Otterwoman]

This is not at all too cold. The water in my tanks in the basement sometimes gets below 40. Sometimes they don't eat as much when it's colder, but if it's longer than a couple weeks or it starts getting thin, I'd try shaking the worm around its head.

 

[xxianxx]

Dawn, do you find the T.verr try to go terrestrial at lower temps ?

 

[Chinadog]

I've been reading as much as I can find about this species after I was given two babies recently. The general consensus seems to be that they will leave the water at lower temps, but I know the parents and siblings of my animals are aquatic out of choice at 18c, even a bit lower and feeding normally. I wonder if the different strains of this species have different preferences for temperatures and so the contradictions stem from that?.

 

[xxianxx]

There does appear to be variations in behavor within this species, the line I have are supposed to go terrestrial around 17c, idk if they do as mine stay at 20c + in my living room and the babies stay at 20 c in my newt room.