The aquarium has long become an integral part of many “living corners” in the apartments of those people who miss the true nature. The abundance of all kinds of fish that inhabit them has long ceased to amaze. What if a newt lives in your aquarium? This animal is not only extremely unusual, but also very beautiful, so you can rightfully boast of it to your friends.
Some mistakenly believe that a newt at home requires some special care. But this is far from the case, because even beginner aquarium lovers can take care of them! This misconception is based on the fact that we know very little about newts. Why? This happens because during the day these animals practically do not show up, hiding in various shelters.
Despite the fact that the newt is very amphibious (up to a third of all species in the middle lane), you can see it in the daytime only by chance. Their wintering occurs in a state of numbness, and for their hibernation they often choose old rodent minks that are located near water bodies. Despite the secrecy, the newt is an animal that can decorate any aquarium. In nature, they are widespread throughout Europe, sometimes even entering the lakes of cold Norway. In Russia, they are distributed practically over the entire territory of the middle zone, excluding only the most northern regions.
If you care for newts, then they can stretch in captivity for up to three decades! The interest of aquarists in newts is due to the fact that all their closest relatives are strictly protected by environmental legislation, and therefore their content in captivity is not welcome, whereas the newts themselves can be found in the home reservoirs of many animal lovers. Ordinary newt is an animal rather large.
Its length in some cases can reach one and a half tens of centimeters. The color of these amphibians in normal times can not boast of anything special: the back is dark sand, greenish in color, and the abdomen is dirty green or slightly whitish. But in the mating season, these shy ones can not be recognized! Males and females acquire a bright and saturated color, and a magnificent crest grows in the crested newts, which makes them look like fairy-tale dragons.
Even more unusual is the needle-shaped newt, named after the tubercles on the sides of the body that hide the ends of the ribs. If one inadvertently picks up such a newt, it is quite possible to get unpleasant scratches from it “as a keepsake”. Its dark green body dotted with small dots is very beautiful, and adult specimens can grow up to a length of 30 cm!
Watching the behavior of newts is very interesting! They slowly and carefully move around the aquarium, often freeze, clinging tightly to the leaves of plants. You can often see how they hang for a long time near the surface of the water. In general, the triton is a rather unpretentious animal. The optimum temperature for them is within 21 degrees Celsius, but they can withstand a fairly wide temperature range from 17 to 25 degrees. In no case should you heat the water in the aquarium with newts, since the slightest overheating is fatal for them!
