Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi all,

I've just discovered a little newt in my garden, which is great as I haven't ever seen one before. I haven't got around to making my pond but i have a bucket of water with fairy moss in it, waiting for me to get around to it. I suppose the newt may have hatched from an egg caught up in the moss when I bought it. I covered him/her up with some of the moss & weeds that I was digging out of the bed at the time, other than that I didn't know what else to do as I haven't a clue about them.

Question is, do I need to put an escape route out of the bucket in case he/she gets into the bucket?

I did google for info but apart from they spend most of the time in water and are a protected species, I'm still clueless about newts - add it to the list
Any help gratefully recieved - Thanks

Do newts climb? I've just realised, the bucket is on the patio about 2 - 3 feet above where I found him, if that's where he came from, can he climb back up to get in the water if he needs to (so he's a boy now, he/she gets a little long winded eh?)

Well....honestly....I have no idea........but I did find this which might help you a little????

How to take care of a newt


I love this bit of advice - "When you go to the pet store, don’t just get the first newt you see." !!!!!!!!!

Newts live in damp conditions, they don't need to be in water and only move to water when they breed. The bucket of water is not necessary now the breeding season is over.

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Mark

Vegetable Kingdom blog

Do you mean in case he falls into the bucket and can't escape?
Probably not as they can breathe in water, however if the bucket will be sitting there with water in it for weeks I suppose other creatures could get it, so it wouldn't hurt to create an 'escape route' if you're worried.
As Capsid said they don't live in water all year round and he is more likely to be wandering from damp spot to damp spot in your garden, it's probably best to just leave him where you found him or if you're working there move him to a suitable safe damp place

Thanks Nicos, I saw that one, it amused me too.

Thanks everyone, I've just put an old paint tray next to where I saw him last and transfered some of the water & fairy moss into it (just the deep end), just in case he needed it but as you say he only needs the water when breeding, I can relax a bit. I'll leave the tray though just in case he fancies a dip or anyone else come to that, maybe a nice little frog or bird will hop up for a splash. I also transfered a small fern next to one of the corners for a bit of shade. I hope he stays around, its lovely to have a bit of wildlife in the garden apart from slugs and snails, at least it's reassuring to know the garden is balancing now.
Thanks All
P.S. Vicky - Thanks for the advice, I've just put an old compartmented seed tray in the bucket for an escape route - all I could find for now - note to self: build the pond! lol

Here's another little bit about common newts.
BBC - Science & Nature - Wildfacts - Smooth newt, common newt
Why not put a little pile of stones in a quiet corner so that it can hide in there.
As for the escape route from the bucket, it pays to put escape routes in any water left in the garden. Last year I rescued a frog which had got stuck in a watering can full of water & couldn't get out & last night I came across a tiny baby toad struggling in a metal water bowl left out for the cat! It couldn't get back up the slippery sides, I emptied it out until I think how to get round that one & in the watering can I always leave a couple of twigs standing in it so they have something to grab on to & climb up. I think newts, frogs & toads must all climb because I've found them (well except newts, I've not seen one here) in our pond which is in a raised bed. I think they climb up the pots & plants around it.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Thanks for the the link SueA and the tips, I'll be twigging all my water containers from now on. Luckily the cat's bowls are indoors or she'd be giving me the evil eye - twig! what sort of scratching post is that?? LOL