MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: A NEOTENOUS NEWT IN CORNWALL,1971

I found this story whilst at the Zoological Society of London about a month ago. Neotenous means “ the retention of juvenile features in adult animals” (1) (rather like me I suppose, with the head and hair of an 8 year old and the rest of the body of a 46 year old?!)

It was originally published in the British Herpetological Society Newsletter no 5  c. 1971 page 2:

NEOTENOUS  NEWT

In May 1971 , a large newt,still bearing functioning external gills, was collected from a clay-drier tank near Roche ( Grid.Ref. 20/05) by Jayne Morton, a pupil of the St. Austell Comprehensive School. As Triturus helveticus is the only newt to occur in this area of Cornwall, it can safely be assumed that it was a `neotenic` specimen of this species.The animal was 66mms. Long, with a broad head (8mms.wide) a poorly developed cloacal region indicating its juvenile state, weak legs,and a tail fin extending up the back of the body almost to the head, the three pairs of bright red external gills being situated just behind the widest part of the head. In contrast to most neotenic newts, however, the colour was greyish rather than cream or lemon yellow. The tank had vertical sides, with two feet of water at one end,though dry at the other. This appears to be a typical habitat for neotenous specimens. (Smith 1954).

It was maintained for several weeks, feeding on waterflies at first, but later accepting small chopped pieces of the common Brandling worm ( Eisenia foetida.) During this time the gills became darker and,after a `moult` visits were made to the surface of the water, presumably for the oral intake of air. Despite this latter observation, it would appear to have been an authentic specimen of a `neotenic` newt, as the external gills showed no sign of disappearing and the body shape did not alter during the eight weeks it was kept alive.

A photographic record has been made by Mr K.Larsen (2) and the information sent to the Biological Records Centre ,at Monks Wood, the latter confirming that it is the first record for a neotenous newt in Cornwall.

1. Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2008) p. 959
2. A Hong Kong colleague of J.D. Romer`s