Newts are separated from the lizards on account of their changes while young. Like the frogs, they are first tadpoles, and do not assume their perfect shape until six weeks after their exclusion from the eggs. The common Newt is a beautiful inhabitant of the ponds, ditches, and still waters.
The male newt is distinguished by a beautiful crimson tipped wavy crest of loose skin, that extends along the whole course of the back and tail, and which, together with the rich orange-colored belly, makes it a most beautiful creature. The female has a singular habit of laying her eggs upon long leaves of water-plants, and actually tying them in the leaf by a regular knot.
Salamander (Salamandra maculata) is a nocturnal animal, and found in woods and hedges under decayed leaves and similar matter. Their bodies are longer and similar to the lizard. Most of the species lay eggs, usually in the water. From these the gilled young hatch out. They are carnivorous or insectivorous. In the adult stage, some are aquatic, but more live on the earth burrowing beneath the soil or under stones, seeking their prey at night. None are poisonous, except that they have glands in the skin which secrete an acrid juice. Our largest species is the mud puppy (Necturus) of the Mississippi basin; the largest living species is the giant salamander of Japan, three feet in length.
Toad (Bufo).—Toads are distinguished from frogs by the absence of teeth, by the roughness of the skin, by peculiarities in the breastbone, and by the shorter hind-legs.
The common toad is a shy, nocturnal animal, hiding during the day in dark, damp places, crawling about at night in search of insects, grubs, slugs, worms, and the like. Its appearance is familiar—a dirty brownish-gray color, a warty skin, a flat head, swollen parotid glands above the ears, bright jewel-like eyes with a transverse pupil, slightly webbed toes. They are heavier and clumsier than frogs, and cannot leap nearly so far. During the winter they live in the mud or in holes. In spring they pair, and the females lay in the water-pools their numerous eggs in strings about three or four feet in length. The tadpoles are smaller and darker than those of frogs, and do not accomplish their transformation into toads until autumn.
Toads are widely distributed over most parts of the continents, but are most abundant in tropical regions. The common toad of North America ranges everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains. In the Southern States another very similar species is numerous, and other species are found in the West. The largest toad of tropical America measures eight inches in length.
The Laughing Toad (Bombinator igneus) is the smallest of the toads, with a yellow spotted belly.
THE ARCHER FISH