Page 37 - Amphibian

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
The female palmate newt lacks the male’s fully
Thin tip to tail webbed hind feet, swollen cloaca, and thin
tip to the tail. When she is ready to breed,
Normal tail – her belly is full of eggs. This gives her a
fin extends distinctly chubby appearance, which
to tip makes the spotting on her sides
visible from
underneath.

No
webbing
on hind
foot

Female
sharp-ribbed
DELICATE FEMALE
The female sharp-ribbed newt
Cloaca newt’s forearms are more
slender than the male’s. The male
passes beneath the female and moves
Female her onto his back. He uses his muscular
palmate forearms to hold onto her – they may stay in
newt this position for 24 hours or more! He
deposits a spermatophore, which she picks up
with her cloaca. Then she attaches the
eggs to aquatic plants.

STRONG NEWT
The male sharp-
ribbed newt is
either very strong
or must have
fatigue-free
muscles to be able
to keep holding
onto the female for
such a long time.

Pair of mating
sharp-ribbed newts
(female above, male below)

Male
sharp-ribbed newt

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