Buy newts for the garden pond

What is a newt?

• A series of terrestrial vertebrates is referred to as newt, which, like the salamanders, belong to the order Caudata or amphibians and together with the Anura (frogs) and Gymophiona (caecilians) the class of the Lissamphibia, i.e. all amphibians still alive today, form. This makes them one of the most primitive land vertebrates.
• The term newt is to be understood purely descriptively. So he does not express any systematic, i.e. H. kinship and refers to all species of salamanders that are more closely related to an aquatic Are adapted to life - for example through fin fringes, especially in the tail area - than those living more terrestrially Salamander.
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• Six newt species are native to Central Europe. Five of them - mountain newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris), crested newt (Triturus cristatus), Alpine crested newt (Triturus carnifex), newt (Lissotriton helveticus) and pond newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) - live in Germany, another, the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus), is in Austria home.

Buying newts - legal aspects

• The amphibian class is one of the most critically endangered vertebrate classes in the world. Dr. For example, Dag Enke, director of the Nuremberg zoo, reports: “About a third of the approximately 6,000 known amphibian species are considered to be threatened with extinction. 43% of all known amphibian populations are shrinking - even in apparently intact habitats. "(Enke (2014): TIERGARTEN 2/2014, p. 26f.).
• The German amphibian species are all under special or even strict protection according to the Federal Nature Conservation Act. They must therefore not be taken from nature and used in their own pond be set. The same applies to spawn and larvae.


Newts in the garden pond - instructions

Newts are fascinating amphibians that you can also keep in the garden pond. …

• Even temporary trapping and releasing requires prior approval from the authorities.

What you should consider when buying

Since extraction from nature is forbidden, newts must be purchased for your own garden pond. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when buying newts.

• The origin of the newt should always be the top priority. As a buyer, always ask the seller to provide proof of origin. This is the only way to ensure that the amphibians are actually offspring and do not come from nature.
• It is best to contact a breeder who has been recommended to you by experienced pig keepers. You can make contacts on the Internet on thematically oriented forums.
• Many traders breed a number of species that are native to different parts of the world. You can of course buy these if you have the appropriate papers. Such a newt is only suitable for the extremely complicated aquarium keeping and must not be in a garden pond should be set up, as the local fauna is threatened by adulteration of the fauna could. You should therefore only limit yourself to the 5 native species mentioned above when buying.
• In addition, you should pay attention to the keeping conditions at the breeder. Are the animals healthy or do they look sick? What are the hygienic conditions like? How are the animals fed? Are there even dead animals in the herd? Be critical and if in doubt, do not buy anything!

The “pig-friendly” pond

In order for your newts to feel comfortable in the garden pond, you have to pay attention to a few things:

• Newts are not suitable for a pond that is stocked with fish. Many fish species compete directly with amphibians for food and also like to eat the spawn and tadpoles of the newts.
• It is difficult to feed a newt. Pond fish food is completely unsuitable. A newt is thus to a certain extent “self-sufficient” and has to live from what the pond and the surroundings offer it: that is, above all insects and other microorganisms. So that there is always enough food available is regular Pond maintenance indispensable, as well as the correct biotope design.
• Newts spend a large part of their life in the water, but they also move near the shore and on land. You have to lay out bank areas accordingly flat so that you make it easier for the animals to get in and out.
• Above all, the bank area and the shallow water zone must be adequately planted. Plants offer cover and retreat and are the newts' "nursery" because that is where they lay their eggs. Native aquatic plants such as Ceratophyllum, Elodea, Potamogeton and Callitriche or Myriophyllum are ideal for a garden pond.
• The land area must also offer sufficient hiding places. You can do this, for example, by creating compost heaps near the pond or by placing old tree roots. But creating a wild herb meadow can also be sufficient. You should also set up swampy transition zones and ensure that the animals can overwinter frost-free in the cold season.

Do you have to buy a newt?

The question now arises as to whether it is really necessary to buy pigs. The answer is no.

• Wild newts naturally go in search of new spawning grounds and habitats.
• If your garden pond offers ideal living conditions for newts, all you need is a little patience must have, a garden pond will settle by itself, provided it has all living conditions offers. At first you can only see invertebrates like water striders. Later on, dragonflies will join in and, after a long wait, amphibians will join them. The author can report from his own experience that in your own pond it took less than a year for the first frog to find its way into its new home.
• Of course, it takes a little luck and you may not be successful in this way either, or it will not be your "dream type" at home. But it is even more of a pleasure when your pond is actually an important wilderness biotope Animals become and it is fun to watch how the pond is colonized by them without even closing them catch.