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Care sheet

Spanish Ribbed Newt

Pleurodeles waltl

Also known as: Iberian Ribbed Newt

Salamandridae · Urodela

BeginnerIUCN NT
Activity
🌙 Nocturnal
Temperament
Hands-off
Adult length
6–12 in
Lifespan (captivity)
10–20 yrs
Native range
Iberian Peninsula and Morocco — ponds and slow water

Care guide

Overview

Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) — the largest and one of the hardiest aquatic newts, making it an excellent beginner caudate. Keep it in a cool, filtered, largely aquatic tank; it stays underwater most of the time. Avoid warm rooms.

Environment

Climate

Cool side
60–68 °F
Warm side
68–72 °F
Nighttime
55–65 °F
Humidity (ambient)
80–100%

Housing

Enclosure

Orientation
Aquatic
Bioactive setup
Not ideal
Minimum size by life stage
  • HatchlingNot specified
  • JuvenileNot specified
  • Adult20 gal for a pair; largely aquatic, water 8-12 in deep with hides

Housing

Substrate

Safe options
bare-bottomfine sandlarge smooth stones
Avoid
small gravel (ingestion risk)sharp decor

Nutrition

Diet & feeding

Dietary type
Insectivore
Feeding frequency by life stage
  • JuvenileDaily
  • AdultEvery 2-3 days (worms, pellets, insects)
Supplementation

Varied diet of earthworms, bloodworms, and sinking pellets; occasional calcium. Keep water cool and clean.

Care

Water & behavior

Water

Aquatic setup: cool 60-72F water (chiller in warm rooms), gentle filtration, weekly partial changes; land area optional.

Legal & ecology

Conservation

IUCN Red List
NT · Near Threatened
Wild populations

IUCN Near Threatened; not CITES-listed. One of the hardiest aquatic newts and a great beginner caudate — tolerant of a range of conditions but needs cool, clean water.

Genetics

Morphs

Morph market
Active
Complexity
Simple

Citations

Sources

Every husbandry parameter on this page is backed by the references below. Click through to read the originals.

  1. Pleurodeles waltl — AmphibiaWeb

    AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley

    academic

    Iberian range, largely aquatic biology, hardiness.

    Published: 2020-01-01

  2. Pleurodeles waltl — IUCN Red List (NT)

    IUCN

    government

    Near Threatened; not CITES-listed.

    Published: 2019-01-01

  3. Spanish Ribbed Newt Care

    Caudata.org community

    breeder community

    Aquatic tank, cool water temps, filtration, worm/pellet diet.

    Published: 2020-01-01

Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) care sheet — Herpetoverse