The juvenile eastern newt, or red eft

Of all the plants and lichens and mosses and creatures that I have observed this week, the red eft is top of mind in terms of adaptation. I climbed Wachusett mountain at 8:30am the morning after a good rain, and I saw 70 of them on the path. (Yes I counted!) (But I only took one picture.)

They are small and bright orange, and must be easily visible to a variety of predators. I also wondered where they were all traveling to. So I did some sleuthing. (Meaning I read the Wikipedia article.)

Here’s what I learned.

  • The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish. (example of adaptation)
  • Eastern newts have three stages of life: the aquatic larva or tadpole, the red eft or terrestrial juvenile stage, and the aquatic adult.
  • The red eft (juvenile) stage is a bright orangish-red, with darker red spots outlined in black. An eastern newt's time to get from larva to eft is about three months. During this stage, the eft may travel far, acting as a dispersal stage from one pond to another, ensuring outcrossing in the population. (example of adaptation)
  • The striking coloration of this stage is an example of aposematism — or "warning coloration" — which is a type of antipredator adaptation in which a "warning signal" is associated with the unprofitability of a prey item (i.e., its toxicity) to potential predators. (example of adaptation)
  • After two or three years, the eft finds a pond and transforms into the aquatic adult.
  • Eastern newts are at home in both coniferous and deciduous forests. (like Wachusett mountain) Red efts may often be seen in a forest after a rainstorm. Adults prefer a muddy aquatic habitat, but will move to land during a dry spell. Eastern newts have some amount of toxins in their skin, which is brightly colored to act as a warning. Even then, only 2% of larvae make it to the eft stage. Some larvae have been found in the pitchers of the carnivorous plant Sarracenia purpurea. (part of its role in the ecosystem)
  • Eastern newts eat a variety of prey, such as insects, small mollusks and crustaceans, young amphibians, worms, and frog eggs. (part of its role in the ecosystem)
Publicado el junio 3, 2020 10:48 TARDE por janezupan janezupan

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thanks, Jane! I will now be on the look out

Publicado por maryjb hace casi 4 años

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