Italian crested newt
When newts are inactive or in oxygen-rich environments, respiration can be done through their skin which accounts for 74% of the cutaneous respiration. However, oxygen-poor environments, such as stagnant ponds, pose a threat to the survival of larval newts. This is because oxygen molecules do not readily dissolve in water, and as "T. carnifex" is an immobile animal, extracting oxygen from water is difficult. Newts consequently have external gills at birth that persist until metamorphosis, which assists survival in low-oxygen conditions.
Italian crested newt
"T. carnifex" is a member of a large family who all share common traits, one of which is the ability of this organism’s spleen to store large volumes of erythrocyte when the oxygen available goes beyond what is needed. Conversely, when the oxygen supply dips below necessary, the spleen of "T. carnifex" will release the red blood cells into the blood stream (as in cases of hypoxia, see below). This process will affect many aspects of the system, including the composition and volume of the blood. The surroundings of the animal will affect it. These surroundings include both the environment, and the physiological conditions the newt finds itself in. One such instance of this regulation is known as compensatory respiration, found during hypoxia. Hypoxia happens when there is an extremely low or limited amount of oxygen available to an organism.