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Quick answer
This is what's known as neoteny - the newt has grown up but kept
its larval characteristics.
Further
information
Occasionally we hear reports of neotenous newts. These are
individuals that have grown to adult size but still have their
larval characteristics - the frill of gills on either side of
the head. This is a natural phenomenon seen in many species of
newt and salamander. The newt will probably never fully develop
and will spend its whole life underwater.
More common is to find newt larvae (or frog tadpoles) that are
still in the water after the summer. This is unlikely to be
neoteny, these individuals have just experienced a delay in
development and will complete their metamorphosis the following
spring (if they survive the winter).
Native
newts.
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