My dad found and dropped off this little guy and I have questions

Well I came home and found this little guy in a bucket outside my door which I later found out my dad had dropped off for me...

All I know is that he's either a newt or a salamander. I looked up a few care sheets. I really don't know much about them...Am I able to keep the little guy at all or should I let him go? I really have no clue where my dad even found him!

Right now I have him in a spare 5.5gal tank 1/2 land - 1/2 water (about 2" deep). I tossed in a few mini mealies which I assume he ate.

Any info or suggestions would be appreciated! Either way...SUPER CUTE!





Temporary Setup until I get more info

Appears to be Taricha granulosa granulosa, based on the phenotype and morphology. Rough skinned newt. Sometimes called an Oregon newt or an orange belly newt.

For a North American species they are exceptionally toxic. Generally not an issue when limited contact is made with the skin of the hands... but will definitely cause irritation (or, potentially worse) if their secretions come into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, any other membranes or open cuts and scrapes. Or if you just have a particular weakness to tetrodotoxins and sensitive skin. Don't uh... don't eat it. Doing that could potentially kill you.

Like a lot of newts, their microhabitat shifts seasonally and based on their age. Adults will be either aquatic or terrestrial depending on the ambient conditions and if they are being provoked into breeding behaviors, juveniles that have exited the larval stage and subadults are more terrestrially inclined. Even those in a terrestrial phase are semi-aquatic. They will enter deeper water than many other newts so you can't really go wrong with larger spaces and ample space of both kinds; deep gently moving water broken or offset by land areas that are fairly densely covered. They benefit from a bit of UV exposure, but avoid intense lighting as they are most usually nocturnal and it will pretty much immediately retard a lot of behaviors necessary to maintain health. Keep them in the sixties for regular maintenance, drop the temperature into the mid-forties if you want to seasonally cycle it or instigate breeding behaviors.

They're pretty opportunistic predators, so mix it up when you have the chance. Insects, earthworms, tadpoles, small fish, small leeches and snails. If you mix up small crickets (tough, as they drown)* earthworms and the oddball feeder guppy you'll have a fairly decent maintenance diet. You might get them to take worms or insect larvae sold as fish food, like bloodworms, whiteworms, blackworms or appropriately sized shrimp but the lack of motion always makes it a little hit or miss when it comes to triggering a feeding response. Worth trying though.

If you want to keep it, go for bigger and more elaborate on the terrarium. And remember to wash your hands after handling and not to rub the newt in your eye.


*the spiracles of a domesticated cricket are below their buoyancy point. They cannot swim without having water enter their respiratory system.

Thank you so much for all that info! I don't mind keeping the little guy.

Hes so cute Id love to rub him in my eyes!

More pictures of Newton and his upgraded tank. 10 gal w/filter.

aww hes absolutely adorable! He even seems to be at a good weight. I know mine loves a varied diet, especially when he gets to chase around some crickets, so id be sure to mix up his meals Good job!