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- Newt
- Overview
Have a picture of Newt?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of e4chin.
| Value for Money | 6/10  |
|---|---|
| Reviewer Rating | 7/10 |
| Overall Rating | 4.2/10  |
Full review by
e4chin
expert review 
on 8th Sep 2006
User Rating : 8
Respect :
+1
Good Points: Fun, easy to take care of
Bad Points: Cannot handle with dry skin
General comments: 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!!!
e4chin's review and ratings | 276 words | 10 comments added.
Review by
SayHelloToTheAngels
on 15th Jan 2004
User Rating : 6
Respect :
0
If you are looking for a low-maintenance pet for your child or your university dorm room, the newt is probably a good choice. They can live in a small aquarium, require feeding twice a day and you only have to change the water once a week. What this means is they are a good pet for someone who wants a pet but doesn't want (or cannot cope with) the mess and responsibility of something like a dog or a cat. You can even pick up your newt and play with it - provided your hands are wet. If they'r ...
SayHelloToTheAngels's full review | 156 words | 2 comments added.
