When Newts Sleep

I've been enjoying watching newts in my paludarium for about 3 months now. 

3 adult Red-spotted newts also known as Eastern newts.

Red-spotted newts are one of the smallest newts with the most complicated development stages.

 Newts exhibit quite complicated relationships and very interesting behavior. 

And newts are very cute. 

Sleeping habits is one of many puzzling aspects about my newts. 

Are Red-spotted newts diurnal or nocturnal? 

This newt seems to ponder about it too. 

It should be easy - moving around newts is active. 

And sleeping newts stay motionlessly. 

Yeah, this newt was just posing...motionlessly :) 

And newts often stop motionlessly for quite a long time. 

Well, let's watch and learn together. 

My newts stay motionlessly the longest periods of time resting on top of plants close to the water surface, hiding under the land platform. 

Red-spotted newts rest at different hours through the day and night.

 It seems that newts prefer to take frequent naps. 

This very cute newt takes about 10 minutes to nap on the feeding spot in the middle of the day. 

It's 2pm. 

You can see the newts' half closed eyes. 

I rarely see newts taking naps like this at the bottom of the tank. 

And this newt fell off the plant a couple minutes ago...and never wakes up!

 It's 10pm. 

Such a helpless pose... 

Is it still alive?!

 I am worrying now... 

Let's open the tank and check on this newt. 

I am going to move the newt using a chopstick. 

Aha! The newt is awaked and moved away the instant I touched it. 

That was indeed a very deep nap! 

I am sorry for waking you up. 

I was getting ready to do CPR on you! 

I am glad you are all well and sound. 

You can go back to sleep - I wouldn't bother you. 

The following 10 hours time-lapse recording reveals a lot of activities in the tank from 10pm to 8am.

 Isopods are very active on the top land part through the night. 

Fish and snails stay active as well. 

And all 3 newts keep moving through the night. 

Though, newts have a couple noticeably long brakes.

 But those brakes also last less than an hour - day or night. 

And for the records, I recorded time-lapse at different nights using much less light than shown here.

 The red-spotted newts seem to get more active as the sun rises. 

And the most activity happens at the feeding spots. 

There is one feeding spot in the center at the bottom of the tank. 

And there are multiple feeding spots - open water space in the land platform.

 Let me show you all 3 newts at the feeding spots in the land platform at 4pm.

 It is hard to see newts behind all the plants...but you can see newts' bellies :) 

Here is the third newt.

 I am not sure if newts are awake or asleep at this time... 

But newts like to hang out at those spots either way.

 And newts come to the feeding spot at the bottom only when they are active - never to sleep.

 Not counting those rare occasions when sleeping newts fall off the plants :) 

Newts are curious and very observant.

They always pay attention to what other newts do.

 It takes one newt to start hunting for other newts to come checking on what is going on at that spot.

 The safe sleeping spots under the platform also are the best vantage points. 

Newts come to check even when they are not hungry. 

Newts are very observant! 

Red-spotted newts move slowly paying attention to everything inside and outside of the tank. 

My wild caught red-spotted newts respond quickly adjusting to any changes in feeding time and diet.

 The very first week in the tank newts were hunting scuds hiding on the bottom. 

As the population of scuds gets wiped out, newts learn that isopods fall in the water at some spots. 

That is where newts prefer to hang out even now - I provide new Isopods weekly. 

Newts learn to check the feeding spot at the bottom for snails and worms I drop after feeding my fish.

 Feeding time seems to be the key in regards to newts' sleeping habits. 

Newts would stay awake to match the new feeding hours I set for them.

 One or two feeding at the new hours, day or night, seems to be enough for newts to respond.

 So, back to the question - when do newts sleep?

Red-spotted newts sleep short periods (more like taking a nap) during day and night. 

And newts always fully awake no matter what feeding time you choose for them. 

Have fun and happy newts :)