Newt Review

Overall Rating

Fun, easy to take care of

Cannot handle with dry skin

Newts are small, usually bright-coloured semiaquatic salamanders of North America, Europe and North Asia, distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of the body.

Newts have the ability to regenerate limbs, eyes and spinal cords, so you can be rough with them but they still feel pain so don't tare off its toes, kids. 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.

Many newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defense mechanism against predators. The Taricha newts of western North America are particularly toxic; the Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa) of the Pacific Northwest produces more than enough tetrodotoxin to kill an adult human foolish enough to swallow a newt. Note that in order to produce harm, the toxins have to enter the body by being ingested or entering a break in the skin.

Please do not handle with dry skin. It will dry out the newts skin. I had a friend who learned this the hard way, plus your hands have oils that can be poisonous to newts, just like they have toxins poisonous to us, (see above), so for the newt and yourself, wash you hands before and after handling them.

Feeding is easy, just throw a few crickets in the holding tank and watch them hunt. Fun for the kids!!!

Members' Comments one4chin's Review

• Helen of Troy on 15th Sep 2006

  Not newts as well e4chin?!!! You certainly love your unusual pets!! Very informative, yet again! Yes, respect given!

• e4chin on 18th Sep 2006

  Hooray for me!
  
  Why is everybody all riled up about the McDonalds review?

• Helen of Troy on 20th Sep 2006

  God only knows!! I just been havin a bit of fun but so many bods with serious attitude probs?!! Check out today's update....!

• e4chin on 21st Sep 2006

  It's all crazy. I can trace it back to sonic sister though.

• Helen of Troy on 26th Sep 2006

  Don't think it was an accidental mis spell when spelt like that! Just went on to show how easy that other could offend someone by that sort of ignorance, especially when they have no idea who the person is! Speech impediment?! Me?! The only speech impediment I have is too much of it! But then, that person could have really upset someone! Maybe they will think next time they try to create their own alternative, not even remotely funny, usernames!

• e4chin on 26th Sep 2006

  Word. It is really hard to tell if someone has some sort of speach impendment by what soneone types, because they could just type badly or be a bad speller (like me), but i can talk just fine in the world. sonic sis was just mad so she tried to insult you with some random thing.

• Helen of Troy on 27th Sep 2006

  Sonic Sis or Spook? Or are they as one do you think!!!!

• Helen of Troy on 27th Sep 2006

  Hey, I like the pics appearing on your reviews!

• e4chin on 28th Sep 2006

  don't think they are one, but could be!?!?! you never know with those type of people. i meant Spook, i was tired reading that post and typing that comment.
  
  yay!!! my picture has been used for my review. go newts!!! (however i do like salamanders better.)

• e4chin on 3rd Dec 2006

  I forgot to include this in my review, but newts are mainly nocturnal creatures. Yes, that means you shouldn't wake it up if it is truly sleeping during the day.