A Guide for Caring for Pet Newts
Caring for pet newts can be a very rewarding experience. A newt is the perfect pet for someone who does not have a lot of time on their hands or who simply isn’t looking for a needier type of pet. You can’t really cuddle a newt, but they have so many other interesting things going for them. We are going to talk about some of the newts neat tricks as well as provide you with a general idea as to what responsibilities are involved in caring for pet newts.
There are hundreds of different species of newts that hail from all corners of the world. They are somewhat similar in build to the lizard, however the newt has a few more survival tricks that most people find fascinating. For starters, newts can regenerate parts of their bodies—and not just the tail! Newts can re-grow eyes, legs, hearts, intestines, and even spinal cords and jaws! While this neat ability is not likely to come in handy for a pet newt, it is still an interesting little trait that makes for a very unique pet.
One thing every potential newt owner should be aware of is that a newt’s skin produces a toxin as a means of protecting itself from predators. This toxin does not usually have much of an effect on human hands, however if your hands are not washed properly after holding a newt and you touch your eye, it could cause irritation. It could also cause an upset stomach if you have the toxin on your hands while preparing food or touching your mouth. In any case, it is recommended that you do not make a habit out of holding your newt, as a newt’s skin is very sensitive to the heat our skin lets off.
The first item on your checklist will need to be housing. Housing is pretty simple to put together when it comes to newts because the majority of them are aquatic—meaning they spend most of their time in the water. You will need a secure aquarium as well as a small island for those occasions when your newt wants to relax outside the water. You may want to ask the breeder or store associate you are purchasing the newt from how large your newt will grow to be. The aquarium you purchase needs to provide enough room for your fully-grown newt to roam around. The water in the tank should ideally be around 65 degrees F and well oxygenated (look into an aerator—they’re usually under ten dollars). It is important that you don’t allow the water to become too warm, therefore it could be worthwhile to ask a pet store associate about cooling mechanisms.
Food is important for any living creature, but newt owners seem to get a little more leeway in this area than other pet owners. Newts only need feeding once every three days or so, which means a weekend away doesn’t have to include hiring a pet sitter! Newts are carnivorous creatures, which means that they eat meat. Their diet ranges from a variety of bugs and worms, which can usually be found in your back yard. If you have a particularly large newt, you may have to choose a diet of larger foods such as live fish foods (tubifex or blood worms) or earthworms.
Newts are fairly private little guys. Their nature is a bit on the shy side which can make them come off as skittish. They mostly function during the night time; therefore your best chance at making your newt feel comfortable enough to eat properly is to feed him at night when he is least likely to feel threatened.
Overall, pet newts are fairly easy pets to take care of once you get the aquarium and food supply sorted. You are sure to find the newt to be a very interesting and unique pet to maintain!