Who Newt It!?

This past weekend I decided last minute to go on a trip (which Jared led!) to Mt. Moxham in the Adirondacks.  When my alarm went off at 6:30am, I grabbed my day-pack filled with extensive amounts of rain gear and headed to the Glen House to meet up with my fellow hikers.  The drive to Minerva was shorter than I imagined, with the scenery shifting from city to farm to mountainscape.  Upon arriving at Moxham, all twelve of us left the shelter of the Jitney and exposed ourselves to the light patter of rainfall.  The entirety of the hike was spent engulfed in a giant rain cloud, which forced us to direct our attention to the wildlife closest to us.  Right as we began our hike, someone spotted a bright red salamander-like animal.  Its tiny two inch body and adorable strut required a name.  Because none of us were naturalists, we crafted our own names for the small creature: Howard, Mr. Squishy, Little Guy.  We all crouched down for several minutes admiring Howard before we started our journey again.  Within a few steps we spotted another Howard, then two more--they were endless!  We probably saw around 50 Howards throughout our five mile hike. 

Due to their abundance and general cuteness, I decided to research the Howards when I arrived back at Hamilton.  As it turns out, Howard’s actual name is the Eastern (or Red-Spotted) Newt (or, more formally, Notophthalmus viridescens).  The Eastern Newt goes through three life stages.  First, it begins its life as a tadpole, using its gills to survive in its aquatic environment where it eats mosquito larvae.  Next, after about two to three months, the tadpole metamorphoses into an eft.  Efts, like Howard, are terrestrial and sport a vibrant orange-red exterior, warning predators that they secrete toxins.   After two to seven years, the eft becomes an adult olive-drab salamander, and returns to its aquatic environment (gills and all) where it mates with other adults, continuing the cycle.

The Eastern Newt! 

(Photo from Ellen Rathbone in Adirondack Almanac)

While researching this tiny fellow, I learned it is important to rub dirt on your hands before picking these Little Guys up, because they (along with other amphibians) are sensitive to acidity.  Upon reading this, I wondered how Eastern Newts fare with the notorious acid rain in the Adirondacks, which is caused primarily by humans.  (For more info on acid rain, go to this EPA website http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html). Due to acid rain, ponds that previously housed tadpoles and salamanders are now empty of them. Even though Howard is tiny, he can play a major role in the Adirondack ecosystem. Consider that an Eastern Newt’s diet during the first stage of its lifecycle is primarily mosquito larvae. Without Eastern Newts and other amphibians, there would be an explosion in the mosquito population.  Although the big picture concept of humankind’s impacts on nature may be cloudy and complex, we can see with clarity our impact on species like Howard.

The all encompassing rain cloud was eerie and beautiful.  Instead of marveling at the grandiose view, it allowed us to direct our attention to the smaller things - like Howard!...and that delicious Cheese Puff that I’m eating. (Photo Credit to Julia Dailey)

Works Cited:

Rathbone, Ellen. "Red Efts: Nifty Adirondack Salamanders" Adirondack Almanac. Accessed: 15 Sept 2015

 http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2009/05/red-efts-nifty-adirondack-salamanders.html

"Eastern (Red-Spotted) Newt." New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/67022.html

Adirondack Museum. "Acid Rain and the Adirondack Museum." Accessed: 15 Sept 2015

http://www.adkmuseum.org/acidrain/adkmuseum.shtml