[TheToad888]

I can't find a descent alpine newt care sheet... I've only found Caudata's one. Which is ok... But doesn't tell me enough...
Does anyone know their basic care??? (housing etc.)

Thanks

 

[Alex M]

I can't find a descent alpine newt care sheet... I've only found Caudata's one. Which is ok... But doesn't tell me enough...
Does anyone know their basic care??? (housing etc.)

Thanks

What else do you want to know, i thought the caudata page gave lots of information although it's been a while since i saw it. What subspecies do you keep as this may make a slight difference to your newts year round husbandry.

 

[TheToad888]

What else do you want to know, i thought the caudata page gave lots of information although it's been a while since i saw it. What subspecies do you keep as this may make a slight difference to your newts year round husbandry.

I don't keep any, but was thinking about getting one or two.
It's the housing i want to know about really... Like, what size, decor etc.

 

[Joe1507]

oh dear, did I get you into these in a previous post? :lolsign: well seeing as theres alot of them in the uk breeding im assuming the care is relative to smooth newts.

50 / 50 water land, filtered water with gentle current, eco earth, feed small insects / bloodworm, earthworms, etc, room temparature?

Marc Staniszewski's Alpine Newt Care Sheet

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Mesotriton (Triturus) alpestris

The caudata care sheet is pretty good.

 

[Alex M]

What Joel says, although just my opinion, no need to have the water moving. They're a touch more aquatic than vulgaris, especially some of the more montane subspecies such as the apaunus from Italy, they may spend all year in water and are more likely to throw up neotenous specimens (which is another subspecies i just recently obtained - thankyou Ben ). The normal French or Western European alpestris tend to spend slightly more time on land although most of mine are still in the water this year.

 

[Joe1507]

yeah gentle or no currentr doesnt really matter although for breeding no current may be better to stop spawn going everywhere?

 

[Ben W]

I keep these in roughly 2/3 water and 1/3 land, the apuanus i keep tend to be more aqautic as Alex says ( Al your welcome:2thumb and mine leave the water if the temp gets too warm and go back in when it cools.
I use rain water with just a tad of aeration.

They are just as easy to feed on land as in water, females can get to a good 5 inches and can lay a fantastic amount of eggs, if well fed the resulting larvae morph very quickly into good sized young.

Ben

 

[Joe1507]

You got me wanting some now, hey ben you got any pics off yours.

 

[TheToad888]

Hmm... May get some. But these days i just dunno what I'm getting.

 

[Joe1507]

alpine newts are nice defo go for them.

 

[Alex M]

The normal French or Western European alpestris tend to spend slightly more time on land although most of mine are still in the water this year.

Btw, i didn't mean french alpestris spend more time on land than other newts, that is certainly not the case, just they aren't as fully aquatic as the subspecies apaunus, especially apaunus found at higher altitudes - they tend to spend a full 12 months of the year in water . Any caudate fan should have these in their lives, a truly stunning species.