supergee | (Reply)

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I can't tell what species of newt that is, or even that is a newt as opposed to one of the Plethodontidae. North America has more species of salamanders than any other part of the world (by comparison, sub-Saharan Africa has none at all), so it could be just about anything. Newts are more or less to salamanders what toads are to frogs: dry, warty, and poisonous, as opposed to wet, slimy, and (to most predators) tasty.

The local (Eastern) newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, is a fascinating creature with an unusual life cycle. It hatches in the water like many amphibians and lives as a green gilled larva with red spots on its back, more or less the colors it will wear as an adult. Then after a while it loses its gills, turns bright orange, leaves the water and goes to live in the woods for a year or two. But then it turns green again and returns to the water for the rest of its life. The Eastern Newt is a popular aquarium pet.

Mr. Gingrich's life history, by comparison, is disgusting. Any comparison between him and the Eastern Newt is dreadfully unfair to the latter.