The Japanese fire-bellied newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster) consists of four
distinct varieties, formally recognized together as a single species.
Its upper body is dark and its lower regions bright red; coloration
varies with age, genetics, and region. Adults are 8 to 15 cm (3 to
6 in) long. They are found on many Japanese islands. Their habitats
include bodies of water, forests, and grasslands. They breed from spring
to the beginning of summer. Eggs are laid separately, hatching after
about three weeks. They grow from larval to juvenile form in five to six
months. Juveniles eat soil-dwelling prey; adults eat insects, tadpoles,
and the eggs of their own species. They have multiple adaptations to
avoid predators, including containing tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin.
Several aspects of their biology have been studied, including their
ability to regrow lost body parts. Currently, their population is
declining, and they face threats from disease and the pet trade. They
can be successfully kept in captivity.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_fire-bellied_newt>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1815:
Napoleon escaped from the Italian island of Elba (depicted), to
which he had been exiled after the signing of the Treaty of
Fontainebleau.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon>
1917:
The Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Livery Stable
Blues", the first jazz single ever released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livery_Stable_Blues>
2008:
In the first significant cultural visit from the United States
to North Korea since the Korean War, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
performed in East Pyongyang Grand Theatre.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_New_York_Philharmonic_visit_to_North_Korea>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
beauty spot:
1. (archaic) A thing (especially an aspect of something) which is
beautiful.
2. A natural mark on a person's skin, especially a freckle or mole on a
woman's face.
3. (cosmetics, historical) A patch or spot drawn or placed on the face
in order to heighten beauty.
4. (ornithology, archaic) Synonym of speculum (“a bright, lustrous patch
of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds, usually
situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and much more
brilliant in the adult male than in the female”)
5. (chiefly Britain) A place noted for its beauty, especially its
natural scenery.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beauty_spot>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is
impossible to be silent.
--Victor Hugo
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo>
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