Neotenous newt

Pete and I were at Orton Pit today, carrying out baseline survey and monitoring of some of the many ponds. Whilest searching for water beetles and other aquatic invertebrates, Pete came across two fully grown smooth newts that still had their larval frill of gills. Neotenous newts are very infrequent and are the first that I've ever seen, though Cambridgeshire is reportedly somewhat of a hot-spot for them. This is a natural phenomenon seen in many species of newt and salamander, the most well-known example being the axolotl. Neoteny may have a genetic basis but is also likely to be influenced by the conditions in the pond. The water in the ponds at Orton Pit has a very unusual chemistry and may be lacking in one or more elements, such as iodine, that's necessary for normal development. This newt will probably never fully develop and will spend its whole life underwater.