I'm a cat person, really I am, but when I was living in the dorms I wasn't allowed to have any pets other than fish. I know, fish, bo-ring! so I decided to get newts instead.

For those of you not into Herpetology, a newt is a term for certain types of semi-aquatic salamanders. Salamanders are a type of Amphibian, like frogs and toads. Some newts have gills, but mine have to swim to the surface every few minutes to breathe.

This is Wendel, sitting next to a rock. Their aquarium is only filled halfway up with water, and the right third is blocked off and filled with gravel to make a little land area. The newts usually stay in the water in winter and on land in summer.

This is Solomon; Like Wendel, he's a Hong Kong Newt, aka Paramesotriton hongkongensis. As you can see he has a brown back, but he has pretty orange spots on his belly. They love eating tiny fish, earthworms, and crickets. After they eat a few fish their stomachs get all puffed up and full of fishes. My newts only have tiny little legs, and consequently can't move her very fast; however they can swim very fast just by wiggling their tails like a fish's.

This is Mandy; I'm sad to say she's not longer with us. While I was in the process of changing apartments I accidentally left the lid off of her cage. By the time I returned four days later she had escaped; I found her dried up under the toilet in the nest room. So now the newt tank is a big amphibian bachelor pad.

I also have two African Claw-Toed Frogs in the aquarium; they're very skittish, and they splashed away every time I snapped a picture. The frogs are big gray monsters who eat everything, but I still love them.