Land turtles require a large amount of land, heated quarters, hiding areas, and an appropriate diet. This doesn't mean they're off-limits to beginners, though. There are good Advanced Vivarium Systems books on both, and plenty of keepers on the net who will be helpful. Several commonly available caudates make good first herptile pets. They are friendly, robust, long-lived, and fairly big for newts.
Adults enjoy bugs of many sorts, meal worms, and earthworms.
They eat small worm bits, tubifex, and small water-dwelling creatures including tiny feeder fish, water insect larvae, etc. Get a tight-fitting screen top, and make sure it stays closed at all times. Even a few seconds is long enough for them to go wandering, so keep an eye out when feeding them with the lid open. There are some things to consider before buying any herp. In this case, the species described in the answer to question 8.1 are good places to start looking.