For those of you who think they have mistakenly tuned in to Wild Kingdom -- well, you may not be completely wrong.
Two days ago: stinging caterpillars. And now the belly of some disgusting amphibian. Actually, the belly of another childhood memory.
In the little stream next to my boyhood home -- and in the Coquille River that it fed -- resided a creature that fascinates me to this day. Let me introduce you to Mr. rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa), also known as the Oregon Newt. And, in this case, that would be Ms. rough-skinned newt.
My brother and I would join the neighbor kids and collect these newts -- some for populating tanks in our houses -- others to simply release. At one stage in their lives, they return to the water to breed. That was prime snatchin' time. The back washes of the river were newt-deep. We also learned some very early lessons of how DNA is shared.
A few years ago, I recall that a visitor from Colorado swallowed one of these delectable-looking amphibians. Apparently, he had been drinking heavily (my bet is: not a vintage pinot noir) and took up a dare to devour a newt -- oysters Rockefeller style, without the Rockefeller.
Let me quote a source for what happened next. "Within 10 minutes, he complained of tingling in the lips. During the next two hours he complained of numbness and weakness and then experienced cardiopulmonary arrest. He died later during the day (despite hospital treatment)."
I thought that was an urban legend, until I learned that the little newt that fascinated me in my youth is the most toxic newt in the entire world. We are not talking Costa Rica or Guinea here. It was small town southern Oregon. But they have been known to kill belted kingfishers, great blue herons, bullfrogs, and fish. Only one variety of garter snake has developed an immunity to the toxin.
Some Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used these newts to poison their enemies. Perhaps, ground in some form of salmon with dill sauce.
These newts were our playthings as children.
The moral from this little traipse through my benighted youth. Why ask me? I was the kid stupid enough to handle these ET toxic dumps.
Two days ago: stinging caterpillars. And now the belly of some disgusting amphibian. Actually, the belly of another childhood memory.
In the little stream next to my boyhood home -- and in the Coquille River that it fed -- resided a creature that fascinates me to this day. Let me introduce you to Mr. rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa), also known as the Oregon Newt. And, in this case, that would be Ms. rough-skinned newt.
My brother and I would join the neighbor kids and collect these newts -- some for populating tanks in our houses -- others to simply release. At one stage in their lives, they return to the water to breed. That was prime snatchin' time. The back washes of the river were newt-deep. We also learned some very early lessons of how DNA is shared.
A few years ago, I recall that a visitor from Colorado swallowed one of these delectable-looking amphibians. Apparently, he had been drinking heavily (my bet is: not a vintage pinot noir) and took up a dare to devour a newt -- oysters Rockefeller style, without the Rockefeller.
Let me quote a source for what happened next. "Within 10 minutes, he complained of tingling in the lips. During the next two hours he complained of numbness and weakness and then experienced cardiopulmonary arrest. He died later during the day (despite hospital treatment)."
I thought that was an urban legend, until I learned that the little newt that fascinated me in my youth is the most toxic newt in the entire world. We are not talking Costa Rica or Guinea here. It was small town southern Oregon. But they have been known to kill belted kingfishers, great blue herons, bullfrogs, and fish. Only one variety of garter snake has developed an immunity to the toxin.
Some Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used these newts to poison their enemies. Perhaps, ground in some form of salmon with dill sauce.
These newts were our playthings as children.
The moral from this little traipse through my benighted youth. Why ask me? I was the kid stupid enough to handle these ET toxic dumps.
