Enjoying the organ regenerating capability of the lizard-like amphibian called newt? If you ensure proper nutrition of this wonderful pet then the enjoyment experience will last longer. Now the question is – what do newts eat?
Newts are flesh-eating amphibians. You can give insects, worms, slugs, invertebrates and amphibian eggs to this semi-aquatic amphibian when they are on land. For the newts in the water mollusks, shrimp, tadpoles, different aquatic insects and larvae are a better option. The baby newts love insect larvae and small shrimp.
Let’s get into more feeding details of this wonderful pet in this article.
What Do Newts Eat In The Wild?
As the wild newts are nocturnal, they are not much seen in daylight. On land, during daytime they hide in places like under the logs, stones, dark and moist areas. In water, the amphibians are found under the vegetation patches and dense weeds.
This lizard-like animal hunts food in two different ways. One way is searching around for food and the other way is sitting and waiting for the prey. There is another technique which is done rarely by the newt which is to eat anything that moves.
The adult newts tend to catch and swallow any moving lives even if it is big in size. Sometimes you will find them struggling and fighting with a big fat earthworm trying to swallow it. Maximum time they succeed to swallow the whole worm.
This little semi-aquatic lizard-like amphibian likes insects, worms, slugs, any type of invertebrates and eggs of other amphibians.
The prey-catching technique is similar to frogs. They have a sticky tongue that helps to stick the snails, spiders, worms, mites, flies and invertebrates. After sticking the food, the tongue works like a fishing reel in a faster mode.
As for the water newts, they hunt for food in both and nighttime. In the water, they catch the prey in different ways as sticky tongues don’t work in water.
Though they don’t have teeth but the jaws are strong enough to grab and hold the prey. The jaw teeth are known as vomerain teeth which help to grab the prey strongly and to help in swallowing.
The water newts eat leeches, water lice, water fleas, water shrimps, mayfly nymphs, freshwater shrimps, seed shrimps, small crustaceans, water boatmen, insect larvae and different aquatic dwelling invertebrates. They also eat mosquitoes, sawflies, ants, bees wasps, beetles, millipedes and even tadpoles.
What Do Newts Eat As Pets?
Though a pet newt will have a different environment, the diet has to be natural to keep the little one happy and healthy.
You have to provide live foods like insects, blackworms, earthworms, night-crawlers, blood worms, wax worms, slugs, small crickets, guppies, etc.
Feeding pet newts are hassle-free as the adult one requires food two or three times a week. As for the baby newts, they need daily food.
If you can’t provide alive foods then try the high protein diets like fish pieces, kidneys, liver, lean meat as an alternative.
How To Feed A Stubborn Newt?
Sometimes a pet newt refuses to eat anything. At that time you have to ensure a more comfortable environment than the current one. Then keep the live food like worms or insects in front of the newt and wiggle it continuously until the newt eats it.
What To Do When Newts Refuse To Eat?
After getting a wild newt as a pet, sometimes it refuses to eat anything. Try to change the tank environment and water. Then provide live food like insects, worms, nightcrawlers, and shrimps. Try to feed gut-loaded insects to get proper calcium.
How Frequently A Newt Needs Food?
Newts don’t eat frequently even they don’t eat daily. You can give newt food alternative day. But the baby newt requires daily feeding to get the proper amount of vitamins and nutrients to grow big and healthy.
Can You Give Newts Any Supplements?
As for wild newts, no supplements are required but for the pets, you have to provide multivitamin and calcium supplements once or twice in a week.
The pet newts don’t get enough calcium from the diet but they need lots of calcium. For that giving supplement is necessary.
What Newts Do Not Eat?
Newts are carnivorous. So they don’t eat vegetables, strawberries, fruit, plants, pond plants, lettuce, mushrooms, duckweed, blanket weed, mushrooms, grass. It doesn’t eat turtles, large frogs, snakes and chickens.
Conclusion
I think the confusion of what do newts eat has gone clear. In this newt feeding guide, any newt owners will get clear information about what food to give or what not. if you do not provide a proper diet with the right environment then this delicate amphibian will not be with you for a long time. Nowadays many newt owners are getting interested in nurturing live worms to provide instant nutrition. Try all the methods to keep the newt happy and healthy.
