Red Spotted Newt

(Notophthalmus viridescens)

Background Information & Range

The red spotted newt is native to eastern North America and commonly named “the eastern newt”. The red spotted newt has one of the most interesting and complex life cycles of all salamanders. They have four stages of life: from eggs to aquatic larvae to terrestrial juvenile or “eft”, then migrating as efts to terrestrial habitats where their gills are replaced by lungs, and returning to their aquatic habitats as an aquatic adult with lungs.

Description

Larvae: olive colored and has feathery gills. They are around ¼ inch – 1 inch long.

Terrestrial Juvenile “Eft”: Bright orange color with small black dots along the back and a row of larger black bordered orange spots on either side of its back. The skin is rough compared to the larvae and adults who have moist, smooth skin. They are around 1-3 inches long.

Adult: The adult red spotted newt has a greenish color with small black dots on their backs and a row of several black bordered orange spots on each side of the back. They are around 3-5 inches long.

Did You Know?

These newts can be indicators of healthy forests and wetlands. Red spotted newts also keep insects under control. This includes mosquitos!

This type of salamander produces and discharges a poisonous substance on its body to keep away harmful predators and when eaten has a very repulsive taste. Also, the terrestrial juvenile has a very vibrant orange color to serve as a warning to predators.