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|  » Stats |
Members: 50,172
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| | Welcome to our newest member, lemajanyvb | |  | 
09-05-2008, 11:32 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1,505
| | | Newt under attack
I was watching the newts in our garden pond tonight when I noticed that one of them was behaving quite erratically. It was near the surface and every few seconds it was thrusting its body about as though it were having a fit. Closer examination showed that something was attached to its face. It eventually seemed to escape the attacker.
The first two shots here show what was going on. The third shot is after the sequence was over. There's a damselfly nymph on the right of the newt. I'm not sure whether this is the one that was the source of the onslaught. If anyone can positively i.d the attacker I'd be very grateful!    |
09-05-2008, 11:54 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kirk Michael, Isle of Man.
Posts: 1,180
| | | Re: Newt under attack
in photo 2 it looks like the newt is having a meal
Barbara |
10-05-2008, 12:07 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1,505
| | | Re: Newt under attack
In which case the nymph was putting up one heck of a fight! But you could be right. The newt might have bitten off rather more than it could chew. |
10-05-2008, 04:45 AM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,610
| | | Re: Newt under attack
Newts are fairly voracious predators + this individual saw the nymph as a tasty meal- I'm amazed it got away. |
10-05-2008, 08:29 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: London
Posts: 3,607
| | | Re: Newt under attack
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeshna5  I'm amazed it got away. | I don't think it did. The nymph in the second pic looks to be a different shape to the damselfly nymph, and I'm pretty sure you can still the eaten nymphs legs sticking out of the newts mouth in the third pic. |
10-05-2008, 09:40 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kirk Michael, Isle of Man.
Posts: 1,180
| | | Re: Newt under attack
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiggrx I don't think it did. The nymph in the second pic looks to be a different shape to the damselfly nymph, and I'm pretty sure you can still the eaten nymphs legs sticking out of the newts mouth in the third pic. | I thought that as well
Barbara |
10-05-2008, 09:42 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1,505
| | | Re: Newt under attack
It was quite an intense battle between the two, but yes I think you can see remnants around the mouth of the newt in the last shot. What surprised - and misled - me was that it went on so long. Looking back through some of the photos it looks as though the nymph managed to get its legs fixed on the outside of the newt's face and was then able to hang on without being swallowed. The newt then spent a huge amount of energy trying to dislodge it. | | |
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