These are not the newts you are looking for!
The crested newt is Britain’s largest and most protected amphibian. Reptile. Whatever. Neighbors told us under no circumstances to mention newts, if we were to find such at Badger House, for fear of bands of marauding hippies with legal superpowers. Utup-shay about the ewts-nay.
This, however — I swear to god — is a smooth newt. Ain’t nothing endangered about a smooth newt. Smooooooth noooooot.
I’m still repairing the brick edging around the garden. It’s going pretty well, but we haven’t had that many sunny days (it’s been in the mid-forties for weeks, though — I’m not complaining!). I dug up a brick and, in the gravel underneath — a good four inches down — was a pile of tiny dessicated newts. Seriously, little dudes were as stiff and dry as sticks.
It crossed my mind that they might have crawled down there and joined the Choir Eternal, but I had a feeling I was looking at a Circle of Life thing. I reburied most of them, and propped this guy up on a brick.
Sure enough, after five minutes in the sun, he blinked. And next time I looked over, I was newtless.
Cheer up, minions! Spring is coming…!
Posted: February 27th, 2009 under animals, badger house, personal.
Comments: 9
Comments
Comment from Gnus
Time: February 27, 2009, 8:35 pm
Is that mid-forties C or mid-forties F? And if it’s C, is that warmer than F? And is a newt really a limey salamander?
One comment, three questions.
Spring better hurry! It’s already down to 65 degrees here, at 1830 CST. Brrrrr.
Comment from armybrat
Time: February 27, 2009, 9:25 pm
Oh thank God…because it’s going to snow in beantown again this weekend. I’m soooooooooooo done with winter. Honestly, I don’t know how these yankees live all their lives with a winter that lasts 6 months.
Comment from Mrs. Hill
Time: February 27, 2009, 9:40 pm
“And next time I looked over, I was newtless.”
He got better!
The Peepers have started peeping here in Central Virginia, but it’s supposed to snow on Sunday. I know they do this every year, and I know the species has survived, but I still fret about them — sigh.
Comment from JuliaM
Time: February 28, 2009, 9:47 am
He’s out early. Hope it’s not too early, poor little chap…
Comment from lauraw
Time: February 28, 2009, 4:23 pm
Honestly, I don’t know how these yankees live all their lives with a winter that lasts 6 months.
We get a little depressed this time of year too, but expressions of disgust from non-natives fill us with an odd sense of pride.
Comment from jc
Time: February 28, 2009, 5:12 pm
Naughty Newt!
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 28, 2009, 5:50 pm
I know, Julia. But I had to replace the brick and I was worried I might crush him in the process. We are forever bailing dessicated newts out of the entryway, so there is a certain…mortality rate at Badger House.
Comment from Nicholas the Slide
Time: March 2, 2009, 1:13 pm
Cheer up, minions! Spring is coming…!
Here in the Land of Sunshine Rocks and Dirt, it’s been (a reasonable facsimile of) spring for a few weeks now. I give it about two weeks, a month max, before it becomes equivalent to what the rest of you folks consider Summer.
After that… out of the Frying Pan, into the Fire.
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