If you lose your heart,
could you grow another? You,
with your shapeshifter
body. Dream swimmer, I want
to know how you flick
through pond murk, snicksneak
under leaf
litter. If you need to replace
an arm, leg, toe,
you invent them. Could you
put another head
on your tail? I want
a hundred eyes,
spots for camouflage, each one
red, circled black. Smallest
time traveller, I want
to see through your skin
into the past, the future. Are you afraid
of what’s unfolding, what’s
coming next—
or have you seen it all before?
Anne Simpson
Newts
Newts are a type of salamander; they can easily be mistaken for lizards when seen for the first time. They have four legs, with a long body ending in a tail, and some newts have feather-like gills. The Mi’kmaq people group newts under the species salamander and refer to them as “tagtalog” (daht-ta-lohk).
Newts don’t have scales, but instead are covered with skin like a frog that they breathe through. It is important not to handle or touch a newt for the oils on our skin can block the pores in the newt’s skin, making it difficult for them to breathe. The main difference between newts and salamanders is that salamanders are terrestrial while newts are semi-aquatic. This means that they spend part of the year in the water and the rest of the year on land. Their preferred habitat depends on the species, so some prefer still water while others prefer moving water. For their terrestrial habitat, they like areas with lots of logs and rocks for hiding. Nova Scotia has five different species of salamanders including one newt species. The red-spotted newt has an orange-brown colour and red spots over its body.
Salamanders have ear holes, while newts do not. Salamanders have eardrums and can hear external noise. Newts have some internal ear structures but it is very limited and is believed that newts have very limited or no hearing capabilities.
Newts vary in size from the young ones that are about 4.5 cm to adult females that are up to 12. 4 cm. Adult males are a little smaller than the females.
Life Cycle
To reproduce, newts enter their aquatic habitat from June to July. The males and females then undergo mating rituals to select a mate, and once a mate is selected the male fertilizes the female’s eggs. The female then lays the eggs (200-330 at one time) in the water and attaches them to a plant or log. When they are laid in still water the eggs have a green tinge, since there is algae within the egg providing them oxygen. The eggs then hatch to larval forms, which look like a fish or frog larva, with long tails, fins, gills and teeth, making them key predators in their ponds.
The larval form then goes through metamorphosis (met-a-more-fis-sis), slowly growing legs and arms, becoming an eft, the juvenile form of the newts. They then absorb their gills, growing lungs. Eventually, they become adults and leave the water.
Re-growth and Toxins
Newts are unique because they can re-grow parts of their bodies from their limbs to their muscles. They can even re-grow their eyes. This is very beneficial for them if they are attacked by a predator; the newt has a higher chance of surviving it by re-growing any part that is lost.
Newts are also known to be toxic, with toxins on the skin or produced when they are threatened. This acts as a defense against their predators. Some predators have developed ways to avoid or neutralize the toxins. It is important for humans not to touch the newts and salamanders. Also, they should never be eaten, because they can be poisonous.
Diet and Predators
Newts are carnivores, consuming small insects, slugs, worms and other amphibian eggs. While the larvae of newts eat other larvae they find in their pool. They use their eyes and sense of smell to hunt, since they are unable to hear. They hunt during the day and when not hunting, they can be found in the shade.
Threats to Newts
Newts are small and easily missed when people are walking by. They are unable to travel great distances and prefer to stay close to their chosen area. Their habitat is threatened by development and pollution, causing them to become endangered in Nova Scotia and throughout Canada.
Newts know no limits
Fun fact: Newts were sent into Space!
For more information: https://envirobites.org/2019/06/26/how-newts-transformed-our-understanding-of-space-travel/
What to look for
To find newts, it’s important to go to their potential habitats such as roadside ponds and ditches.
It’s easiest to find them in the spring for they will be near ponds.
While newts can’t hear, they are sensitive to vibrations and will find a spot and stay still.
Use a flashlight to look into ponds.
Use this identification guide to identify Nova Scotia’s newts and salamanders: https://novascotia.ca/museum/amphibians/en/salamanders/
~Emilie Knighton
