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Emperor Newt

Tylototriton shanjing · also called Mandarin newt, Crocodile newt

Intermediate Family Salamandridae

A rugged orange-and-black newt that spends much of the year on land.

🖼️ Free Emperor Newt wallpapers — phone & desktop →

✅ We have a full, fact-checked care sheet for the Emperor Newt.

Open the Emperor Newt care sheet →

📋 At a glance

Tank
Semi-aquatic, terrestrial-leaning 10–20 gal: moist land + shallow water
Temp
Cool 60–72°F
Setup
Moist terrestrial substrate + a shallow water area
Food
Earthworms, crickets, bloodworms
Lifespan
10–20 years

✅ Hardy and striking, and increasingly captive-bred — a rewarding terrestrial-leaning newt.

🛒 Before you buy

  • A mostly-terrestrial, moist setup with hides + a shallow water area
  • A cool spot (60–72°F)
  • CAPTIVE-BRED where possible (wild populations are declining)
  • The knowledge it has toxic skin secretions (wash hands)

A healthy one: Rough orange-and-black skin, bony head ridges · well-fleshed · clear skin · active on land.

🚨 See a vet / act now if…

  • Not eating / weight loss
  • Skin fungus or lesions
  • Bloating
  • Lethargy in warmth

⛔ Never

  • Warm tanks
  • Handling then touching your face (toxic secretions — wash hands)
  • A bone-dry setup

Common emperor newt questions

How hard are Emperor Newts to keep — are they good for beginners?

Advanced. A rugged, mostly-terrestrial newt — cool, moist, and best kept captive-bred.

What do Emperor Newts eat?

Earthworms, crickets, bloodworms

What size tank do Emperor Newts need?

Semi-aquatic, terrestrial-leaning 10–20 gal: moist land + shallow water

What temperature do Emperor Newts need?

Cool 60–72°F

How long do Emperor Newts live?

10–20 years

What are the signs Emperor Newts are sick?

See an exotics vet if you notice: Not eating / weight loss; Skin fungus or lesions; Bloating; Lethargy in warmth.

🧠 Myths, kindly busted

Common myths about this kind of amphibian, gently corrected — each one checked against a named source, never a pet-shop rumour.

“Newts are harmless and safe to handle.”

Many newts carry a potent skin toxin (tetrodotoxin) as a defense, and some hold quite a lot. Not a reason to fear them — just a reason to handle minimally, keep hands from your eyes and mouth, and always wash up afterward. — Animal Diversity Web

“A newt only needs water — or only needs land.”

Newts often live a double life, and their needs shift with each stage. An eastern newt starts as an aquatic larva, spends a juvenile eft stage on land, then returns to water as a breeding adult — so the right setup depends on the life stage. — Animal Diversity Web

“Newts and salamanders are unrelated.”

Newts are simply one branch of the salamander family tree: every salamander belongs to the order Caudata, and newts are a group within family Salamandridae — so all newts are salamanders, though not all salamanders are newts. — Animal Diversity Web

🐸 Did you know? — Emperor Newt fun facts

Little true delights about the emperor newt — each one checked against a named source, no old-wives' trivia.

More amphibian fun facts →

Free tools for the emperor newt

Calm, honest help — each one knows when to say "see a vet."

Symptom checker Triage a worrying sign and know when to see a vet. Water-or-land planner Aquatic or terrestrial? Right for its life stage. Feeder culture Culture your own feeder insects, cheaply. Male or female? The honest way to sex this one — and when you can tell. What does a emperor newt cost? The honest cost — setup vs ongoing, and where to save. No price tags. Common questions Real questions keepers ask — answered straight.

📚 More newts guides

Get the free Emperor Newt Starter Kit

A one-page setup-criteria checklist and a first-30-days plan for your first emperor newt — what to get, what makes each thing matter, and the honest bits the pet shop skips. Join the burrow and we’ll send it over. Free sheets and tools always stay open, no gatekeeping.

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