TAC - SAND NEWT

(uh...)

Michael and I were at the tide pool swimming. When I was about to get in, a giant amphibian pounced on me and tried to bite me! However, I managed to hold it off and sent it rushing back to the pool.

The creature I encountered was a Sand Newt, the only surviving remnant of the Permian labyrinthodonts. Layrinthodonts are giant salamander-like amphibians that thrived from the Devonian until the Permian extinction. After that, in the Cretaceous period, an Australian species called Koolasuchus was the last of its kind. Because Alayssia is close to New Zealand and Australia, I had to assume the Sand Newt was a descendant of Koolasuchus.

Sand Newts are normally harmless predators, feeding on fish, squid, carrion, & shellfish. But they are territorial and will attack if provoked. For its Latin name, I named it after my dad at Utah. I took a picture of a Sand Newt on my phone and sent it to him. After realizing that it was provoked, I had a theory that Sand Newts are easily frightened and will attack if surprised. Therefore, I think it attacked me because it didn't want to eat me; it was actually protecting itself.

These amphibians have also evolved throat-fins on the sides of their necks. They use them for display. These fins were beautiful, but were pale compared to what I would soon see...