Animal Profiles
Amphibians

Newt

Salamandridae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Newts are salamanders with varied aquatic and terrestrial stages. This account describes the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), whose orange juvenile stage is commonly called an eft.

Notophthalmus viridescens (newt)

Representative species: Notophthalmus viridescens.

Brian Gratwicke · CC BY

At a glance

Habitat
Temperate forest, Rivers and lakes, Wetlands
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Small invertebrates.

Classification

Common name
Newt
Browse group
Amphibians
Scientific name or taxon
Salamandridae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Caudata
Family
Salamandridae
Source classification
Amphibia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • The orange eft is a juvenile stage.
  • Aquatic adults use their tails for swimming.
  • Different stages occupy different habitats.

Habitat and range

Eastern newts inhabit eastern North America. Larvae and adults use ponds, small lakes and marshes, while terrestrial efts occupy damp woodland and leaf litter.

Appearance and adaptations

Aquatic adults have olive-toned skin and a flattened swimming tail. The familiar eft is orange to reddish, with conspicuous spots and a rougher skin surface.

Diet and behaviour

Newts take small invertebrates, including insect larvae, snails and tiny crustaceans. Efts become active in damp conditions, whereas aquatic adults can forage by day or night. Some populations vary in their life-stage sequence.

Sources

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