Himalayan newt (Tylototriton verrucosus)

Short answers

Himalayan newt: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×40×40 cm aqua-terrarium.

Himalayan newt: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 16–23 °C, basking spot No basking spot, at night 16–19 °C (a slight night-time drop); outside the winter dormancy period, not permanently below 15 °C.

Himalayan newt: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not essential.

Himalayan newt: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 years.

Himalayan newt: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

16–23 °C

Night temperature

16–19 °C (a slight night-time drop); outside the winter dormancy period, not permanently below 15 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot

Humidity

70–85 % (semi-aquatic)

UVB

Not essential

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×40×40 cm aqua-terrarium

Substrate

Land area of moss, coco fibre and leaf litter with flat hide slabs; plus a water area taking up about half the space, which for adults may be up to around 20 cm deep — for juveniles no more than 8 cm, with a shallow exit

Feeding

Food

Earthworms, woodlice, slugs and soft insects; in the water area red mosquito larvae and freshwater shrimp, also as frozen food from tongs

Feeding interval

adults 2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

14–20 cm

Life expectancy

15–20 years

Origin

The Himalayan foothills, northern Thailand, Yunnan

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A cool rest period of 8–12 weeks at around 10–15 °C, usually November to January or February; without it there is no offspring

Cohabitation

A group is possible. Only put together animals of the same species and roughly the same size — smaller ones will otherwise be treated as food. Offer enough hiding places so that every animal can retreat, and feed them separately when they differ in size.

Notes

Outside the spawning season it spends much of its time on land – the land section must be larger than the water section. Sensitive to warmth.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Emperor newt (Tylototriton shanjing) – Intermediate
• Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) – Intermediate
• Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) – Expert
• Anderson's crocodile newt (Echinotriton andersoni) – Expert
• Anderson's salamander (Ambystoma andersoni) – Intermediate
• Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) – Beginner to intermediate
• Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) – Beginner
• Blue-tailed fire-bellied newt (Cynops cyanurus) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Himalayan newt (Tylototriton verrucosus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×40×40 cm aqua-terrarium), substrate (Land area of moss, coco fibre and leaf litter with flat hide slabs; plus a water area taking up about half the space, which for adults may be up to around 20 cm deep — for juveniles no more than 8 cm, with a shallow exit), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.