Newts/Salamanders as food?

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T

therevolution

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 2, 2009
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maryland
I got to thinking tonight about newts I used to catch at my grandparents house in West Virginia, Eastern newts is what they are called . I was wondering if anyone has ever used newt/salamanders as food for their cichlids. I know growing up my dad always had lizard shaped fishing baits so fish would see it as food. I was considering keeping some as pets and using their spawns as food, but I need to find out:
a) where to get some, besides driving to w. va in the summer and catching some
b) if they are suitable to use as food. I think some salamanders may be poisonous as an evolutionary defense mechanism or something..
 
Some newts are quite poisonous, but I'm sure salamanders and other amphibians are part of the wild diet of many predatory fishes
 
Eastern newts (Notophthalmaus viridescens) are really poisonous, in their aquatic and terrestial form. True salamanders like blackbelly salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) or seal salamanders (Desmognathus monticola) or northern dusky salamanders (Desmognathus fuscus) are all very common in your area and would probably be fine, but I personally wouldn't try it. If you try it, I would only feed larval forms. The time spent catching salamanders could be spend catching crayfish and small fishes that would make better meals I think.
 
yeah, some newts are extremely deadly, i wouldnt do it just to be safe
 
Agreed, you'd have to be really versed in your salamander identification for it to be a good idea. Earthworms are probably a better choice, and safer.
 
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