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Hi All,
I posted this in the recovery room because it is of interest to all people who like newts, keep newts, or find newts in the wilderness on a regular basis.
Did you know that most of these wonderful little critters are highly poisonous? I am remarking on this first because just this evening my boyfriend runs up and says "hey come see this cute little lizard at the door", so of course I run out and look, scoop the little critter up, and then proceed to allow him to walk all over my arms as Im searching the internet to discover what he is.
What I found is that he was a Pacific Rough Skinned Newt. They are super cute, brown on top with shiny silver eyes and a orange underbelly. What I also found is, his species, is the #1 Most Poisonous Newt known to scientists!!!!
Heres what an Article I read this in has to say:

The rough-skin newt (Taricha granulosa) is one of the most toxic animals known to science. One case involved a 29-year-old man who had been drinking heavily and swallowed a newt on a dare in Coos Bay, Oregon. Within 10 minutes, he complained of tingling in the lips. During the next two hours he complained of numbness and weakness and then experienced cardiopulmonary arrest. He died later during the day (despite hospital treatment).

Now, the only saving grace, as I cradled my new found friend on my fingers, was that:

The Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, has low levels of TTX. Skin extracts from these newts are at least 1,000 times less toxic than those obtained from rough-skinned newts from the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Studies suggest they have lost most or all of their TTX toxicity)

Lucky me that I live on Vancouver Island eh?!?!
Anyway, needless to say, my new little friend, who can grow to an amazing 8 or more inches , has been returned to his woodland home, and I am happily and pleasantly graced to have been able to spend some small amount of time with such a fascinating, wonderful, and deadly creature. While he may not kill me, he would kill my dog if she ate him, so not a good pet!
Also, I just wanted to post for you the informative website I visited's top 7 for newt toxicity list. You would be amazed and not so pleasantly surprised to find out that our little friends the Japanese Firebelly Newts hits #4 for the 4th most toxic Newt known to man. So just be warned, dont be licking or kissing your little firebellied friends!!!
Heres the List this website Provided: Credit is due to Wes von Papineau in his Article: Newt Toxins published 2003. Website Address is:
[link=http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/newt_toxins.shtml
]http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/newt_toxins.shtml
[/link]

1. Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa) (USA) - 25,000 mice killed

2. California Newt- Male (Taricha torosa); Crocodile or Emperor Newt (Tylototriton verrucosuss); Redbelly Newt (Taricha rivularis) - 7,500

3.Roughskin Newt - Canada (Taricha granulosa) (Canada); California Newt - female (Taricha torosa) - 2,500

4. Japanese Firebelly Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster); Hong Kong Warty Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis); Eastern or Red-spotted Eft (Notophthalmus viridescens) <2,500

5. Eastern or Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) 250

6. Anderson's Newt (Echinotriton andersoni); Chinese Warty Newt (Paramesotriton chinensis); Guizhou Warty Newt (Paramesotriton caudopunctatus); Tsitou Newt (Pachytriton brevipes); and Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) have secretions, but of unknown (to me) composition and strength.

7. Least Toxic - Smooth Newt (Triturus vulgaris); Crested Newt (T. cristatus); Alpine Newt (T. alpestris); and Marbled Newt (T. marmoratus).

And Last but not least, heres a link to a picture of my new little friend, not taken by me, but he was identical.
http://jason.lowe.home.mindspring.com/Species%20Gallery/newt.jpg

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.....Nobody liked my article at all I guess.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames