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“Snickety-snickety-SNICKT!”

Last week, we posted an article about a lizard that has the similar color scheme as Spider-man. This week, the creepy and crawly post is about a newt that has a natural defense mechanism as our favorite mutant furball, Wolverine! The Spanish Ribbed Newt apparently has the ability to thrust out it’s rib bones out of its skin when it feels that it is in danger. Egon Heiss, (holy shit, his name is Egon) of the University of Vienna, and a team of Austrian scientists have shown that the Spanish ribbed newt is able to rotate its ribs until the sharp points of its ribs pierce through its skin. On top of that nasty little feature, the spikes are coated with a toxic secretion as it exits the body (don’t lick the bastard). When the newt feels it is out of danger, it retracts its spikes back into its body. Then, the newt’s insane healing ability kicks in curing all the tears on it’s back from where the spikes came out. Unlike the porcupine and blowfish (I know you were going to ask about those two), the Spanish Ribbed Newt is the only animal that can brandish its spikes like a weapon. Only if the newt had some crazy facial hair.

source: national geographic