Alpine newt efts ( Ichthyosaura Alpestris) cb 2023
The alpine newt is a common species across Europe they are cold tolerant and can survive outdoors year round in the uk ,but as there not a native species never release or allow them to escape into the wild ( including garden ponds) alpine newts are similar in life cycle and habitat to our native smooth newt and require similar care , reaching a max size of around 12 cm ,They spend most of their time in the water during the breeding season and throughout the summer, but come back to land in autumn to hibernate through the winter but unlike smooth newts these can actually be kept in water yearround ,alpine newts feed on aquatic insects, worms, midge larvae and tadpoles. On land they mostly feed on earth worms and small insects.
CARE :
alpine newts are easy to care for in captivity and are a great amphibian species for beginners ,a paludarium set up is best however alpines being highly aquatic can be kept in an aquarium year round with some floating wood or islands for them to climb out on , a natural set up is best with a substrate of soil or coconut coir , lots of plants and moss ,some rocks or wood is also beneficial and of course a large water container , we keep our amphibians in bioactive setups with lots of worms ,springtails ,woodlice and other insects living the soil ,these as well as helping keep the enclosures clean also provide a natural food source for the newts ,life span of alpine newts is 15 to 20 years but they can live up to 30 in the right conditions ,ensure the lid of the enclosure is secure as they are good climbers and can can squeeze through narrow gaps.
FEEDING 🐛
Alpine newts will eat a wide range of foods
most standard insect foods are suitable make sure the food is the right size for the newts and not to big ,foods Including:
Crickets
Mealworm
Waxworm
Earth worm
Calci worm
White worm
Isopods ( woodlice )
Beetles
And flies
While commonly stated newts will eat snails and slugs these don't tend to be preferred.
When the newts are living in water they can be fed most Live /frozen foods.
Bloodworm
Daphnia
Krill
Gammarus
Tubifex
Blackworm
Water Louse
Midge/ mosquito larvae
As with all amphibians and reptiles in captivity common common toads require a calcium supplement in there diet ( dusted over there food ) to avoid getting metabolic bone disease ( MBD ) ,a supplement with both calcium and additional nutrients is best ,we use arkvits but there's many different suitable brands ,foods like calci worm and isopods are also an excellent source of calcium for newts.
TEMPERATURE 🌡️
Between 12°C and 22 °C
HIBERNATION TEMPERATURE ❄️🌡️
between 3 °C and 5 °C
Alpine newts don't require hibernation unless you want to breed them.
HUMIDITY 🌧️
85 - 100%
BREEDING
Alpine newts are easy to breed and will do so if kept fully aquatic however for best results giving the newts a terrestrial phase is more natural and will encourage them to lay more eggs and for a longer period , hibernation is also important for successful breeding this can be done naturally by keeping them in an outdoor enclosure over winter or artificially by keeping them in a fridge for 2 to 3 months at 2 °C to 5 °C ,the fridge must have accurate temperature control with a decent amount of space inside to ensure enough air flow, a faunarium or storage container with air holes is a perfect hibernation enclosure doesn't need to be too large as there not very active during hibernation but depends on how many newts you have ,a substrate of soil and lots of damp sphagnum moss to keep the newts moist but not soaking ,a small water bowl is also important ,check them around once a week and give them a spray if they seem dry ,always feed them up well in the weeks before hibernation so there in good condition and have enough fat reserves.
Alpine newts reach sexual maturity from 2 to 3 years old ,when ready to breed the males will take on brighter colours and develop a small crest down his back ,tail fanning from the male is a clear sign the newts are in full breeding mode , After mating the female will begin to lay eggs usually on the leaves of aquatic plants where she will carefully fold the leaf around the egg with her back feet and can keep laying between 30 and 300 eggs in a 3 to 4 month period ,they can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month to hatch depending on temperature.
LIGHTING 💡
While it's disputed by amphibian keepers if newts and salamanders need UVB lighting as they are mostly nocturnal and wouldn't have much exposure to sunlight naturally ,we use UVB lights for all our amphibians , even though the newts wouldn't have much sun exposure in the wild they would still experience brief periods of sunlight as they squiggle through the undergrowth ,a 5% UVB is sufficient for them but UVB certainly isn't essential for this species.
TANK MATE'S 🦎
Alpine newts can be kept with other similar species including smooth newts and palmate newts , provided the enclosure is a decent enough size for each animal to have there own space , these species are all found in close proximity in the wild and share the same habitat and will even hibernate together, many of the crested newts triturus.sp also share the same habitat and have similar care needs and could be kept in the same enclosure when small ( only in a large enclosure ) although these newts grow much larger than smooths , palmates or alpines and once they start to outgrow there smaller tank mates would need moved to there own enclosure.
There are many different methods of keeping amphibians in captivity and different keepers and breeders have there own methods ,our advice is based on our own experience and what we've had the most success with in our own animals.
