Impurest's Guide to Animals #12 - Iberian Newt

It’s back to normal with Issue #12 of Impurest Cheese’s Guide to Animals After last weeks Friday Fixture. Last week the slippery Sea Lamprey was in the spotlight. This week’s animal is hopefully less disgusting than the previous three issues. Hope you guys enjoy.

_____________________________________________________________________

Issue #12 – Iberian Newt

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Cordata

Class – Amphibia

Order – Caudata

Family – Salamandridae

Genus – Pleurodeles

Species – walti

Related Species - The Iberian Newt is the largest of three species found in the genus Pleurodeles (1)

Range

Ribbed and Ready to go

The Iberian Newt is the largest of all the true newts, growing up to 30cm long, although they are far from being the largest members of the salamander family. The species is a uniform grey colour with black spots and a row of orange pores running down the flanks. The species is largely aquatic even as an adult but like all newts can move comfortably on land if it has too.

Iberian Newts are largely insectivorous feeding mostly on aquatic invertebrates although like most amphibians, they will eat tadpoles and small fish under periods of environmental stress. The Iberian Newt itself is a particularly easy target for predators such as water snakes and herons due to their large size and slow speed both in and out of water. As such Iberian Newts have developed a side splitting defence, when stressed the newt’s ribs actively puncture the skin to form an ad hoc wall of spines running down its flanks (2). If this spiky defence wasn't enough the newt secrets a poison from the skin down the bones to make if even more inedible to predators.

Iberian Newts are unique among newts, due to their two stage metamorphosis as opposed to the three stage process the others go through. Where as the Iberian Newt metamorphoses from tadpole to adult like frogs and toads, other newts and salamanders go through a terrestrial phase known as an eft between the aquatic tadpole and amphibious adult. Due to environmental stress the female Iberian Newt has the ability to store and maintain live sperm in her cloacae without fertilisation occurring for up to five months (3).

Five Fun Iberian Newt Facts

It was long thought that the eruption of the Iberian Newt’s ribs was a passive mechanism. X-Rays now show that the bones pivot almost 50° before emergence

The Iberian Newt and its relatives are not the only species to practice this bizarre defensive mechanism. The Hairy Frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) penetrates its skin with the bones of its toes to produce a set of bone claws when threatened.

One last defence by the Iberian Newt in trouble is to slap its tail against the predator. This draws the attacker’s attention to a more disposable part of the body, which can be detached allowing the head and body to escape unharmed (4).

There is a long running misunderstanding about the identification of venom and poison. While both substances contain the same compounds venom must be injected directly into the blood stream to take effect. Poison on the other hand requires consumption or inhalation before it can be activated.

Iberian Newts are an ideal species to study the effects of gravity change on embryonic development due to the female’s ability to store sperm. Experiments show that embryonic development of newt eggs, in early stages is seemingly unaffected by the lack of gravity (3).

Bibliography

(1) – www.arkive.org

(2) - http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8212000/8212623.stm

(3) - Gualandris-Parisot L, et al. Adv Space Res. 2001;28(4):569-78. Pleurodeles waltl, amphibian, Urodele, is a suitable biological model for embryological and physiological space experiments on a vertebrate.

(4) - Halliday, T. and Adler, K. (2002) The New Encyclopaedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Picture References

[1] - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8wmtfZIoK1ra9ai1o1_500.jpg

[2] - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Pleurodeles_waltl_range_Map_cutted.png

[3] - http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/ribbed-newt-main.jpg

[4] - http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/54/542B83A3-C669-4E4A-A78F-8379DC3630B8/Presentation.Large/Sharp-ribbed-salamander-resting-on-rock.jpg

Hope you guys enjoyed the insight into this curious creature. Drop me a comment with an animal you want explored in the next issue. If you missed an animal or simply want to revisit a species make sure to check out the Bestiary of Past Issues. Many Thanks for Reading

Impurest Cheese

Yeah, that was cool.

I don't have anything else to add or ask about concerning newts :P

One question though. Will you sue me for copyright if I do laflux guide to animals- paleobiology edition :P

@cbishop, @laflux, @ostyo, @wildvine, @delphic, @project_worm. @The_Deathstroker, @samimista, @cattlebattle, @xwraith, @cgoodness, @knightsofdarkness2 and @the_impersonator.

This week's issue features an adorable newt.

@impurestcheese: Already commented above :P

@laflux: Glad you enjoyed it. And no go ahead. :-)

*goes to prepare Yutrannus thread*

@cgoodness: I don't get it? Are we saying that Iberian Newts now have telekinesis

@impurestcheese: oops got my xmen mixed up :/ let's just pretend that comment never happend

@impurestcheese: Forget to mention this, but your pretty much a revised version of @umbrafeline when it comes to the flora and fauna of Comicvine.

@impurestcheese: Newts! I love Salamanders, especially the Axolotl and Giant Japanese Salamander.

Cute.

@cgoodness: You meant Marrow right?

@ostyo: Thought you might

@scorpion2501: Thanks

@laflux: A revised version? What does that mean?

@impurestcheese: I meant the animal :P

But hey, not saying you aren't.

@scorpion2501: Yeah that's what I thought you meant.

@impurestcheese: You had to say something along the lines of "Smooth".

I wish I could protrude poisonous spikes from my ribs. The more I read these articles the more I realize how lame it is being a human. Superior brain functions and opposable thumbs are overrated.

@scorpion2501: Bad Newt Puns. I'm surprised we haven't had a Monty Python reference yet

@impurestcheese: She turned me into a Newt!

Love the Holy Grail.

@cattlebattle: Bite your tongue. Humanity has adaptations that we take for granted. For example bipedalism may seem a disadvantage but in hot climates it reduces heat stress due to a reduced exposed solar surface.

@scorpion2501: There it is.

Still though, no poisonous ribs spikes. What the fark, evolution!?

@cattlebattle: I'll agree with you on that. Why would you want poisonous ribs anyway?

Eh, for kinky stuff.

@cattlebattle: And they say nature has a sick sense of humour.

Bone claws... Someone get a hairy frog in the Weapon X program

@wildvine: Yes, it's colloquially called the Wolverine Frog for that very reason. That and it's short, bad tempered and very hairy

@impurestcheese:

He'll always fight with his brother Sabretoad.

@wildvine: You joke but the Torrent Frog has a pair of sabre fangs and specialises in eating other frogs. Looks like nature beat Marvel to the punch on this one.

Awesome thread! Newts are pretty cool animals.

Hehe.... Newt Gunray.

To all the SW fans, I know the Viceroy's name is spelled different, I'm just making a joke.

@knightsofdarkness2: Yep they are

@The_Deathstroker: More Newt puns. :-)

@impurestcheese: @wildvine: Thanks, to me now all frogs are gonna look like angry midget Canadians who love cigars.

@ostyo: Sure Bub

@ostyo:

My job here is done.

I've always loved amphibians.

@xwraith: Yeah they seem to be very popular with everyone.

@impurestcheese: Lol, yep. Newt Gingrich.

@The_Deathstroker: What would Issac Newt-on say in this scenario. My mind is so froggy almost as if a siren was blocking my thoughts. Surely this blog is the last stop on the toad to hell.

So many amphibian puns in so little space

D'aw! This is adorable. I love newts.

Have you heard of the leopard gecko? They seem so cool!

@samimista: Yep and yes I've heard of the Leopard Gecko (looks over to the vivarium where Emerald my Day Gecko is licking a bowel of honey).

Aw! You have a gecko? =O So cute!

I don't have one but, my dad has a bearded dragon. She's absolutely adorable.

How old's your gecko?

@samimista: She'll be four in July. She has the potential to live to 15 years.

Newts are adorable. Makes me think of Ned's Newt.

The fact they can stave off fertilisation for five months makes them uber cool.

@hislolita: Thanks. That's also the reason pre mated Iberian Newts were taken into space for fertilisation tests in the 80s & 90s

@impurestcheese: Finally got around to reading this... gotta ask; what would be considered a "false newt"..?

ALSO... Damn newt, you crazy...

@project_worm: All true Newts are members of the subfamily Pleurodelinae. Some salamanders from outside the family are called newts as well due to a similar appearance. In general adult newts are largely aquatic while adult Salamanders are terrestrial

@impurestcheese: Ahhh.

@project_worm: Thanks for the comment BTW

@impurestcheese: No thanks necessary, Dairy Imp. Thanks for the info.

@project_worm: Thanks anyway

@impurestcheese: You are very welcome.