HOME | DD
makepictures β Newt
Published: 2011-09-30 03:18:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 1125; Favourites: 26; Downloads: 12
Redirect to original
Description
In a forest in North Bennington, Vermont, USA.Related content
Comments: 34
Wonderful shot, wiggling aside!
Regardless of the newt's fragile tail, I can assure you it's just like all other creatures who can lose (and repair) their appendagesβthey require some forceful yanking instead of simply falling off without warning. I've kept enough lizards and rodents with similar tails (even ones that didn't grow back once lost) to know that there must be a good deal of trauma before such a thing ever occurs. This little fellow was in no danger of losing his precious lower end. To those of you who are worrying: Please don't worry so much. e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/sβ¦ " width="15" height="15" alt="
Still, awesome photo!
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks for the critique and for standing up for humans and for salamanders.
π: 0 β©: 1
Unhindered me, human! I must go! My people need me!
π: 0 β©: 1
Witches famously put newts in their brews but I'm not sure that makes them exactly edible.
π: 0 β©: 1
So I can assume you did not eat the newt?
π: 0 β©: 1
SO awesome! I love how orange it is. I only wish the newt were more in focus rather than the hand
π: 0 β©: 1
It was very wiggly and the forest was dark so I used the necessary low shutter speed to show movement. If you look at some of the other comments you would see that if the newt had been frozen by the camera without the suggestion of its movement then I would have been accused of killing it just for the sake of a good picture.
π: 0 β©: 1
Hahah! very true! Im glad it survived the encounter
π: 0 β©: 0
Shouldn't really hold these guys by their tails. They have the ability to drop them as a defensive mechanism.
π: 0 β©: 1
My impression is that newts do not drop their tails. But if they did, they would likely simply grow another as lizards do. In fact, newts can regenerate all manner of body parts. This is from Wikipedia:
"They have the ability to regenerate limbs, eyes, spinal cords, hearts, intestines, and upper and lower jaws. Recently it was discovered that the Japanese fire belly newt can regenerate its eye lens 18 times over a period of 16 years and retain its structural and functional properties. [3] The cells at the site of the injury have the ability to de-differentiate, reproduce rapidly, and differentiate again to create a new limb or organ. One theory is that the de-differentiated cells are related to tumour cells since chemicals which produce tumours in other animals will produce additional limbs in newts.[4]
π: 0 β©: 1
Are you aware of the level of stress it causes the animal to lose a body part and that it can even cause its death? Not to mention it can even become dinner easier while recouping from the loss.
But hey who cares, you got the photo!
π: 0 β©: 1
I can assure you that when the little guy was gently returned to the forest floor, s/he scurried off with all of his/her faculties intact, stood on a leaf and then went on his/her way.
π: 0 β©: 1
Raaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! That is not the point Josh! 
π: 0 β©: 1
I was trying to explain that we were quite careful "with nature." I can assure you the eft's experience in our hands was infinitely better than the treatment s/he would have received from a snake, a large toad, a possum or any other part of nature that feeds on efts. And I am happy that I am big enough not to have an eft eat me - - because, you see, they are carnivores and have teeth.
π: 0 β©: 0
No one realizes that these adorable red efts are actually poisonous.
π: 0 β©: 2
Really; how so? If you pick one up like this do you risk poison or must you eat them?
π: 0 β©: 1
I believe it's only if you put them in your mouth or eat them. 
Yep, from Wikipedia: "...their skin secretes a poisonous substance when the newt is threatened or injured."
π: 0 β©: 0
Well, if you eat them of course.
π: 0 β©: 1
oh not like the poison dart frog where touching it can mess you up
π: 0 β©: 1
I certainly hope not. 
π: 0 β©: 0
Lancelot:how do you know she is a witch?
peasant:well she turned me int o a newt!
L:A newt?
P:I got better....
π: 0 β©: 1