We get some unbelievable phone calls here at the Living Materials Center. Case in point, Tammy Welch, office manager extraordinare, fielded a call this week where the caller wanted to know if we knew a veterinarian who specialized in amphibians. Curiosity set in and the caller said that her newt was bloated. The mind raced, Beano, Maalox +, tap him on the back and wait for a burp, more fiber, what do you say to someone whose newt is bloated?

    It seems this newt had a family history. For the past fifteen years it had passed between relatives as they, the relatives, passed on to the next world. There were tears involved so we had to be careful.

    The Japanese fire belly newt is a type of salamander and aquatic amphibian. It averages three inches in length and the male has a crimson red stomach and is G.I. green on the back. The one we have is a mucky brown female. In aquarist circles it is desirable because it is quite mellow and is easy to maintain. It prefers live food and love earthworms, waxworks, and crickets. The natural habitat of the newt is the cool, still waters of heavily vegetated ponds. The average lifespan ranges from one to sixty years depending on care.