I found some newts! Will they be okay? (Need answer fast!)

Factual Questions
1

So I’m doing some emergency plumbing repairs, and just discovered — in my pump house, crowded together below a leaky section of pipe — what appears to be an entire family of newts! (Or some creature of similar description; I’m not entirely confident in my classification of Pacific northwest amphibians.)

Here’s a photo of a couple of the little guys. The ones pictured are around three inches long, including the tail.

There are four large-ish ones and what appears to be one tiny baby newt. Obviously I have to displace them from my pipes, but how can I make sure they’re going to be okay? Do newts hibernate? They seemed a little sluggish when I pulled them out. If I just dump them outside, will they be in danger of freezing to death? If they were hibernating, and they’re awake now, am I going to just have to care for them and feed them until spring?? :eek:

For clarification, in case anybody here knows more about these things (have we got a Gussie Fink-Nottle in the house? :p), I’m near Seattle, Washington.

2

Taking a guess: Northwestern Salamander? See if those pics look like your guys.

3

Begin to practice black magic (eye of newt and all of that.) At least then their deaths will go towards a good (?) cause.

4

I believe that you have found ensatine escholtzii. They don’t hibernate but will go into torpor when the temps are low. I found this and other information here.

They are cute, we used to catch them as kids, also in the Seattle area. Good luck, with a terrarium you might want to keep one back as a pet!

5

They’ll get better.

6

Ensatina, I’d say moorland reiver has it. It looks like the tail matches the description, and they have 5 rear toes. The coloration is classical too.

7

Nice

8

I knew it was unlikely that I’d get into this thread fast enough, but I had to check.

9

Thanks, guys! Looks like Ensatina is it. I’m going to relocate them to a larger container and keep them warm and fed at least for tonight, then tomorrow I’ll find a cozy place for them in the woods or something. Maybe a hollow beneath a tree? It’s probably going to be below freezing for a while, and we may get snow. Any idea how resistant they are to cold temperatures?

Anyway, a few more pictures of the cute little bastards for good measure:

Sup, bitches!

I make my escape!

They’re either using each other as climbing aids, or trying to start sexy times.

Either way, the one on the bottom didn’t appreciate it and retaliated with a swift kick to the stomach.

The whole family, assembled.

Well played, sir. Well played. :smiley:

10

I endorse this thread.

11

Help me out here…

12

I think the small one might be my newt:o

13

Two things worth noting from the wiki article:

14

Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she’s a witch?
Peasant 3: Well, she turned me into a newt!
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Peasant 3: [meekly after a long pause] … I got better.
Crowd: [shouts] Burn her anyway!

15

I must admit for disgusting creeping little things, they are kinda cute

16

Yeah, I noticed that, so I have been careful not to handle them any more than necessary. I made sure they had some water to muck around in, too. :slight_smile:

This morning I took them out and found them a cozy new home beneath some old logs in the forest. They seemed to take to it pretty quickly; within a couple minutes they all plunged right into the leafy crud and disappeared.

Freedom!

One more for good measure.

17

Cool!