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Toxicology of N. Kaiseri

neel

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Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has studied the skin secretions of N. Kaiseri, how toxic they are, and perhaps what they're related to in terms of toxicology?

I had one get loose about 6 months ago, and wander around the house for probably about an hour... I keep the tops to their tanks heavily weighted down now, because the weight of the lid alone isn't enough to keep them in.

At one point, I noticed it was gone and we frantically searched and found it being sniffed by one of my dogs in the living room. She probably at least licked the newt, like everything else she finds, and likely tried to eat it. The newt was fine other than being a bit stressed, but my poor dog vomited a few times before getting back to normal later in the day. Both were eventually fine, and are still alive to the day :)

I'm curious how close a call this was... I know that if one of my dogs ate a T. Granulosa or something similarly toxic, it would be likely to die. I'd guess that the coloration and markings of N. Kaiseri would be intended to indicate that they're fairly toxic, but that isn't always a good indicator. I couldn't find any specific information on the type of toxin that they secrete, or its potency.

Anyone happen to know?

Thanks,
-Neel
 

John

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Not many amphibians could kill with just a mouthing or a lick, and I don't think Neurergus are some of them. I'm sure someone knows more about the toxicity of these newts.
 
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