Tonight I found a newt in my house again !
There was one in only two or three days ago, and again sometime in the summer.
They are such beautiful little things and I am always honoured to have a visit from them. But it would be so easy to tread on them without knowing, so I put them outside.
There is a small garden pond at a neighbour's a quarter of a mile away, and I do know they have newts. Would newts travel that distance on dry land? And why? Why come into a house too? Are they looking for somewhere to hibernate for the winter?
The newts are back! I remember you had them before. Maybe they are looking for a place for the winter. Your home would be warmer than outside. I assume they hibernate. Maybe you can look up what kind of newt they are and find out what they need for hibernation.
This might help.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&...ECrhGFGNpA
I suspect they use your neighbours pond during breeding season and come back to your garden to live. They might see your house as a perfect winter den. They would do better with something more natural like a pile of leaves and sticks. Maybe you could build them a hibernation area.
I wish I had newts in my garden.
Tobi, here's another article for you:
http://www.onekind.org/education/animals_a_z/newt/
It says there that newts can travel up to 1km - much more than a quarter of a mile (nearly two-thirds, in fact). So they could easily have come from your neighbour's pond.
Now I am really wondering what kind of newts you have in your place.
That is a long walk for something with such tiny legs. They must leave the pond and keep traveling until they are ready to hibernate. As long as they are back near the water for breeding season they would be fine. I think they need to be near water. It is interesting how they lay one egg at a time and protect it. I would love to see a newly hatched newt. They must be very small.
I wonder if the normally winter near your place. Is there a log or pile of brush that they are using? It would be so incredible to know that they winter just outside your door. Much classier that the squirrels in the attic that we tend to have in Toronto.
Now I am really wondering what kind of newts you have in your place.
That is a long walk for something with such tiny legs. They must leave the pond and keep traveling until they are ready to hibernate. As long as they are back near the water for breeding season they would be fine. I think they need to be near water. It is interesting how they lay one egg at a time and protect it. I would love to see a newly hatched newt. They must be very small.
I wonder if they normally winter near your place. Is there a log or pile of brush that they are using? It would be so incredible to know that they winter just outside your door. Much classier than the squirrels in the attic that we tend to have in Toronto.
Thank you both for a lot of interesting facts about newts.So that must be it then...they must come from my neighbour's pond. There isn't another pond closer to me. The ditch at the back of my house isn't reliable. It's either muddy, or dried up, and rages like a torrent in stormy weather. So I can't imagine they would be happy there.
However, from what I have been reading about them, both my garden and surrounding area have lots of places newts could 'den up' for winter. As soon as the leaves start to fall, there are plenty of leaves around, and many of them don't get moved. I am completely surrounded closely by trees, so that is a lot of leaves. There are also plenty of cracks in stonework...two areas in my "woodland garden" at the side of the house, and lots of areas around the base of my house between grass and house walls.
The newts that come in my house are the "Common Newts". They are smooth and brown, and quite small. The one last night was like al the others; about 2-3 inches long.
I have such a soft spot for newts. They are such lovely little things.
I like to kid myself that they just came in to visit me! haha
Maybe they do come in to visit. After all they must be wintering at your place. You always put them outside. So they could be having a short visit before they settle in to sleep all winter.
I am glad they are common newts. They sound like sweet little creatures. Maybe your place is the safest place to spend the winter. You leave alone the places they need for their hibernation.
I have never even seen a newt in the wild. Your little visitors sound charming and I wish I had guests like that.