Category: Amphibians
This uniquely beautiful amphibian is also known as the emperor newt. Their bright orange glands, arranged in two parallel rows against the dark background of their dorsal surface, warn of their extremely toxic secretions – the poison from one newt’s glands can kill around 7,500 mice! Nonetheless, they are generally safe to handle – as long such handling is done carefully and gently. They inhabit pools and slow-moving streams high in the mountains of the Chinese province of Yunnan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_newt
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Frog-Amphibian-Species/Mandarin-Newt/
Caecilians: The Limbless Enigma
Caecilians are amphibians with long, limbless bodies that resemble worms or snakes more than frogs or salamanders. Their name means “blind ones,” a reference to their tiny, skin-covered (or in some cases, non-existent) eyes - which probably don’t get much use, as they spend most their lives burrowing underground. Caecilians are unusual for amphibians in that 75% of them give birth to live young, oftentimes, fully formed. There are also a few species where the mother actually grows a layer of nutritious, fatty skin that is eaten off by her own young, which is analogous to breastfeeding in mammals.
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