Newts are amphibians forming part of the Salamandridae family. They are classified in the subfamily Pleurodelinae of the family Salamandridae. Newts can be found all over North America, Europe and Asia . A newt goes through metamorphosis in three stages in its life; it starts off as an aquatic larva, moving to juvenile and then adults. Adults possess a lizard-like body and are either fully aquatic creatures, or semi-aquatic depending on the surrounding environment they are in.
Chinese Fire Belly newts are beautiful animals which can come in shades of black or dark brown with an orange or red underbelly, hence their name. Being carnivorous, these newts will feed on anything from worms, small insects, brine shrimp and even tadpoles. An amazing fact about these creatures is that, like lizards, they can regenerate lost limbs very rapidly and even any organs which are damaged.
When setting up the enclosure one must keep in mind that a third of it should be land, meaning pebbles, gravel and rocks. Female newts will hatch their eggs on land on a piece of leaf and then roll the leaf on itself for protection, so if your intentions are that of breeding, this is very important to keep in mind. The land components used have to be sloping into the water, thus making it easy for the newts to access it. The water content required should be quite deep for these animals.
When it comes to temperature, fire belly newts will do well at room temperature, although you should consider purchasing a heater for the colder months just to be sure. Tap water can be used to fill up the enclosure, and keep in mind that some newts may reject food bought in pellet form but will eat live food such as bloodworms.
Filters can be set up in the enclosure, although if the water is changed every couple of weeks the water will be good and toxin free. If a filter is purchased, make sure that it does not produce strong currents. Fire Belly newts should have a light spectrum on average of twelve hours light, twelve hours dark and needn’t any specific lighting equipment.
