Newt: a small, usually bright-colored semi-aquatic salamander of North America, Europe and Asia, distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of the body. Not to be confused with the equally well know, though less amphibious, Newt Gingrich.
Things to consider about the Newt:
1) Newts have the ability to regenerate limbs, eyes, spinal cords, hearts, intestines, and upper and lower jaws. N.B. They can only regenerate their own body parts, not yours.
2) In Monty Python and the Holy Grail a peasant claims that a suspected witch turned him into a newt, although admits that he “got better”. Newts everywhere took exception to this, the implication being that newtness is a form of illness.
3) The photo above is in fact an example of Notophthalmus viridescens. He just enjoys shouting Triturus vulgaris at random intervals throughout his day; it keeps him level-headed and clear of mind.
