The Palladurium

For a few weeks, this 20 gallon "long" tank was the home of 6 "common newts" or spotted salamanders. I collected them in the spring, and while they were in the tank, they mated almost continuously. I fed them a few small earth worms every few days, which they ate unexcitedly. I believe the family/genus species name of these critters is: Triturus Viridescens viridescens. I caught them in a pond on Dorset Mountain, in East Dorset, Vermont. I was hoping they would lay some fertilized eggs, so I could follow the development of the larvae. After several weeks though, I didn't see any signs of eggs or young, and the salamanders didn't seem too happy. One refused to eat any dry food or earthworms and was getting dangerously thin. I decided that I needed to learn more about their diet before I could attempt this kind of tank, so I returned them to their natural habitat a few weeks later. The tank is now home to 6 teeny african cichlids.

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Last Updated February 2, 1997