Observações de jgrubbs

"The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish.[2] It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and it may grow to 5 in (13 cm) in length. The striking bright orange juvenile stage, which is land-dwelling, is known as a red eft.

The striking coloration of this stage is an example of aposematism — or "warning coloration" — which is a type of antipredator adaptation in which a "warning signal" is associated with the unprofitability of a prey item (i.e., its toxicity) to potential predators.[6]

Adult

After two or three years, the eft finds a pond and transforms into the aquatic adult. The adult's skin is a dull olive green dorsally, with a dull yellow belly, but retains the eft's characteristic black-rimmed red spots. It develops a larger, blade-like tail and characteristically slimy skin.

It is common for the peninsula newt (N. v. piaropicola) to be neotenic, with a larva transforming directly into a sexually mature aquatic adult, never losing its external gills. The red eft stage is in these cases skipped.

Homing

Eastern newts home using magnetic orientation. Their magnetoreception system seems to be a hybrid of polarity-based inclination and a sun-dependent compass. Shoreward-bound eastern newts will orient themselves quite differently under light with wavelengths around 400 nm than light with wavelengths around 600 nm, while homing newts will orient themselves the same way under both short and long wavelengths.[3] Ferromagnetic material, probably biogenic magnetite, is likely present in the eastern newt's body."

Like G. lucidum, G. tsugae is non-poisonous but generally considered inedible,because of its solid woody nature; however, teas and extracts made from its fruiting bodies supposedly allow medicinal use of the compounds it contains, although this is controversial within the scientific community.

G. tsugae is purported to have medicinal properties including use for dressing a skin wound.

Studies in mice have shown that G. tsugae shows several potential medicinal benefits including anti-tumor activity through some of the active polysaccharides found in G. tsugae.[6][7] G. tsugae has also been shown to significantly promote wound healing in mice as well as markedly increase the proliferation and migration of fibroblast cells in culture.[8]

"It is used in horticulture as the flowers are showy and fragrant.[11] The bark of the plant is edible and is reportedly used as a substitute for cinnamon.[12] The petals of the flower are also reportedly used in tea-making.[12] Strong caution is advised however, as an alkaloid in the plant may lead to heart convulsions.[12] The viscous substance within the plant is reportedly used as a disinfectant.[12]

It is highly resistant to diseases and insects, although it is prone to infection by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which leads to the formation of crown galls on the stems.[10][13]

This plant has been marked as a pollinator plant, supporting and attracting beetles."