DSHil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hey kids, welcome back to our series on the mysteries of created kinds. Last time, we met a stunning group of birds. This week we’re moving from the jungles of the Amazon to the west coast of North America, looking for a colorful kind of newt.
The newts of this kind are colorful, with a bright red underside and a darker upper body. The bright red color serves as a warning: these newts are toxic. The poison can kill mammals and birds easily, while snakes tend to be a little more resistant but still often die from eating the newt. The exact amount of poison varies between species and even within populations of the same species. When bothered by predators (or curious humans), the newts will secrete up to 90% more toxin from their skin. When females lay eggs, they pass their own toxicity on to the eggs, meaning that the eggs themselves are also poisonous.
The diet of these newts is effectively any small invertebrate it can catch. Because like most newts, it needs to be near water, many of its prey are also water dependent in some way, like snails or mosquito larva. Occasionally, some species will snack on fish eggs as well as invertebrates.
Breeding occurs in the water, and females lay eggs in the water, often among the leaves of water plants or mosses. The young hatch and go into a tadpole stage in which they have to live in water. When metamorphosis into the adult stage occurs, the newt will leave the water and start to forage on land. The adult newts have a remarkable ability to find their way home, even over miles of rough terrain.
Has anyone figured it out yet? This week’s kind is the Taricha—the rough-skinned newt kind. Stay tuned for next week when we start looking for a family of American rodents.
Try out this fun crossword!
Your clue for the week is:
These rodents may look cuddly, but you really don’t want to hug one.
Have you ever had a question about created kinds but didn’t know who to ask? Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite kind? Well, now you can! You can ask me, Inspector Barry Mins, a question! Have your parents help you fill out this form, and you might get your question answered in my column! If you have any questions about created kinds, feel free to send them my way!