Buzz
Featured in an unreleased Pixar movie and often referenced in Monty Python sketches, these amphibians are also an essential element in many magical potions, showcasing their extraordinary resilience and survival abilities.
1. A SPECIES USES MOVEABLE RIBS TO PROTECT ITSELF.
Pengo, WikimediaCommons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Handle a Spanish ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl) with caution. These flat-headed creatures have a shocking defense: They can rotate their ribs forward, piercing through the skin to form protective spikes. As if that weren’t enough, when the ribs puncture the skin, they’re coated with a venom that’s released at the same time. Once the threat has passed, the ribs retract, and the skin begins to heal.
2. IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE, NEWTS WERE LINKED TO MALEVOLENT SPIRITS.
It was believed that witches could summon demons by brewing a potion with newt-based brandy. This idea was referenced by Shakespeare in Macbeth: In Act IV, the witches toss ingredients like 'eye of newt and toe of frog' into their concoction.
3. SOME NEWTS CAN REGENERATE THEIR EYE LENSES UP TO 18 TIMES.
While most people know that lizards can regrow their tails, newts take this talent a step further: After losing a limb, they can regrow it within just a few weeks.
Newts possess the remarkable ability to regenerate not just limbs but also tails, jaws, spinal cords, heart ventricles, and even eyes. But is there a limit to this regenerative power? Between 1994 and 2010, a team from the University of Dayton conducted tests to explore the extent of this ability. Over 16 years, a group of Japanese newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster) had their eye lenses surgically removed 18 times each. The results were astounding: Each time the lenses were removed, new ones grew back, fully functional just like the originals.
Panagiotis Tsonis, the lead researcher of the experiment, noted that the findings could have significant medical applications. 'Although we're still a long way from applying this to humans,' he told Wired UK, 'this shows that the newt is a fantastic model for studying regeneration.'
4. THE EASTERN NEWT (NOTOPHTHALMUS VIRIDESCENS) IS THE STATE AMPHIBIAN OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Raeky, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0
In 1985, New Hampshire became the first state to officially designate an amphibian, choosing the Eastern newt. Since then, 17 other states have followed suit, but none have chosen a newt. The range of Notophthalmus viridescens spans from Canada to Florida and from New England to Kansas.
5. SOME NEWTS UNDERGO TWO STAGES OF METAMORPHOSIS.
Like many amphibians, newts begin life as gilled, water-dwelling larvae before transforming into air-breathing adults. However, certain species take a unique detour, transitioning through an intermediate stage. After leaving their larval phase, species like the eastern newt become juvenile forms known as efts, which are adapted for life on land. A few years later, they return to the water as full-grown aquatic adults with webbed feet and paddled tails.
6. MALE NEWTS RELEASE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PHEROMONES.
For a female newt, the way to her heart is through her nose. During the mating season, male Alpine (Ichthyosaurus alpestris) and palmate (Lissotriton helveticus) newts emit a potent blend of pheromones into the water to attract females. The courtship begins when the male waves his tail at the female, and she follows him for a while. When she’s ready, she touches her nose to his tail, prompting him to deposit a spermatophore on a leaf or another surface. He leads her to it, and the spermatophore attaches to her cloaca, leading to fertilization.
A 2011 study revealed that the pheromones were so effective that they caused captive females to become uncontrollably attracted to the scent. With no males around, they began courting each other. 'We were sure that if we introduced a plastic toy moving at the right speed, they would follow it,' said Franky Bossuyt from Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
7. SPANISH RIBBED NEWTS HAVE GONE TO SPACE.
Between 1985 and 2005, six different space missions took Pleurodeles waltl into orbit. Scientists have chosen this species partly because of its extraordinary healing abilities. But does space travel impact the newt’s remarkable limb regeneration? In general, the answer is no—except when a newt is in the process of growing a new leg. In space, the development of the new limb slows down. However, upon returning to Earth, the growth rate exceeds what is considered typical.
Researchers have also explored the effects of space travel on P. waltl embryos. Female newts can carry sperm inside their bodies for up to five months, only fertilizing their eggs when they detect the right hormone. This means that some P. waltl embryos were conceived in outer space. Unfortunately, most of these space-born embryos were found to be malformed.
8. NEWTS PRODUCE FAINT SOUNDS.
While not as vocal as frogs or toads, newts do make some subtle noises if you listen closely. For example, eastern newts emit a soft 'tic-tic-tic' sound, while California newts (Taricha torosa) click as they move across unfamiliar ground, squeak when handled, and even whistle to ward off rivals.
9. A SINGLE ROUGH-SKINNED NEWT (TARICHA GRANULOSA) CAN KILL AN ESTIMATED 25,000 MICE.
Rough-skinned newts may not seem like much, but they are among the deadliest creatures on the planet. Native to the American west coast, these newts produce a potent toxin called tetrodotoxin (TTX), which interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and the rest of the body. The effects include numbness, dizziness, muscle spasms, and paralysis.
The skin of an average adult T. granulosa contains enough TTX to potentially kill around 25,000 mice. In the wild, biologists have observed these newts killing 30 different vertebrate species, including fish, great blue herons, and belted kingfishers. However, the newts don’t leave their predators guessing: they display their toxicity by raising their heads and flashing their brightly colored throats. Most predators retreat—though it seems this bullfrog didn’t get the warning.
10. ROUGH-SKINNED NEWTS ARE ENGAGED IN A DEADLY ARMS RACE WITH THE COMMON GARTER SNAKE.
Why is this species so extremely toxic? Why do they produce enough TTX to potentially kill 25,000 mice? Shouldn’t having enough poison to kill, say, 15,000 be sufficient?
In truth, the rough-skinned newt isn't invincible. Despite its potent toxins, the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) remains a serious threat. Some populations of these snakes have developed an immunity to tetrodotoxin (TTX), allowing them to safely consume the newts. In response to this challenge, the newts have upped their toxicity, while the snakes continue to become more resistant to TTX.
At the moment, it seems the garter snakes are gaining the upper hand. Some of them can endure up to 100 milligrams of TTX—nearly 10 times the amount the newts can produce. However, there's a catch: these highly resistant snakes are generally slower, which makes them more susceptible to their own predators. Perhaps, in the end, the newts will have the last laugh after all.
