Create accountLogin

Recent searches

No recent searches

Search options

Only available when logged in.
mastodon.ie is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
Irish Mastodon - run from Ireland, we welcome all who respect the community rules and members.

Administered by:

Server stats:

1.6K
active users

mastodon.ie: AboutProfiles directoryPrivacy policy

Mastodon: AboutGet the appKeyboard shortcutsView source codev4.3.8

Public
Stan Carey

A smooth newt, Ireland's only newt species, and the first I've seen in an age. Encountered it in soil near Lough Corrib while planting hazel trees

A smooth newt held on the fingers of an orange gardening glove. The newt faces left, straddling two fingers. It's brown and soft-skinned, with two wavy black lines along its back (possibly indicating that it's female?). Its snout is stubby and its toes are splayed. It seems calm, and it didn't move till I found a quiet spot for it.
#newt#salamander#wildlife
Stan Carey

Fun newt fact, or rather "newt" fact:

"A newt" used to be "an ewte", but the "n" jumped across thanks to rebracketing (misdivision, reanalysis, etc.)*

The word's Old English etymon, "eft", now refers more narrowly to the juvenile terrestrial stage of certain newts.

* See also: adder, apron, nickname, umpire…

#etymology#newt#language
Jun 06, 2024, 06:22 PM·Public
25boosts·36favorites
ExploreLive feeds
About