I think I've found a Palmate Newt

[Dianne09]

Hi Guys

My Boyfriend found a newt in his workplace today. It was covered in dust and stuff so he put it into a box and brought it home.

What should I do now? I would keep him/her but I dont know what he requires etc!!

Can anyone help me?

Thanks

[aramcheck]

Smooth newts are more common than Palmate in the UK, and they are very similar, especially in the terrestrial phase...
Have a look on those pages from Caudata Culture, the belly shots are v useful for identification...

Smooth Newt

Palmate Newt

If you decide to keep the newt, the best would be for you to create a semi aquatic set up, so the newt can choose where he want to be. In the wild both species live on soil for a part of the year and return to water during the breeding season (which is now, your guy must have got lost on the way to a pond), but both do very well staying fully aquatic in captivity... Have a look at different set ups here.

Regarding feeding, the best food for newt is earthworms, but they need to be small enough to swallow, or you can feed your newt chopped-up worms. An alternative is giving your newts some live bloodworms (available from aquarium shops) on damp paper on land, or frozen/live ones in the water...

if your guy look a bit thin, you could give it some waxworm, but they are too fat as a stapple food.

I actually found a dehydrated Smoothie @ work last year and keept it for 6 weeks until I was happy it was doing OK, but decided it was unethical to keep it captive, I released it in a suitable pond near where I work and decided to keep captive breed newts instead, but it is up to you...

Good luck! Hope you enjoy your guy, I find caudates fascinating!

[TheToad888]

It may be against the law to keep palmates, but not sure. Does it have webs on it's back feet? It may not even be a palmate, and it is likely to be a smooth newt. The care for them is the same as palmates.
Their care is like this species:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Crested Triturus species

Housing and feeding should be generally the same but personality would be different.

Hope this is helpful and hope you can understand this!