I bet you’re thinking, “Newt? It just looks like a salamander.” Physically, newts lack the side grooves typically found along most salamanders’ bodies.  Taxonomically, all salamanders are in the family Salamandridae, while newts fall within a subfamily to that: Pleurodelinae.  In other words, all newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. The red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus v. viridescens) is one of four sub-species of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), and is the only sub-species found in New England.

During a recent walk near Lithia Springs in South Hadley, MA red-spotted newts were numerous in and around the vernal pools.  The red-spotted newt is particularly interesting due to its various life stages.  Both the immature larvae (essentially the newt version of a tadpole) and the adult newts live in small bodies of freshwater (ponds, small lakes, ditches, and marshes).  The juvenile “eft” stage of the red-spotted newt is terrestrial, however, and lives in lakeshore and woodland habitats.  Efts have slightly rough, dry skin and are bright orange or red. After 3-7 years (in Massachusetts), efts undergo a second metamorphosis to become aquatic adults, at which time their skin changes to a dark yellowish-green or brownish color. Even during this stage, however, they retain their small red spots found in rows along their backs. These spots, as well as the bright coloration of the efts, are warnings of toxic skin secretions and are deterrents to predators.

Terrestrial juvenile ref eft

Adult at the edge of the vernal pool

In permanent waterbodies, adults may remain aquatic and active throughout the year.  However, in populations where the breeding pools are shallow or seasonal, such as vernal pools, adults migrate out of ponds in summer or autumn (August–September), overwinter on land, and return the following spring to breed.  Adults can live for up to 15 years.

Adults caught while dip netting in a vernal pool (2 photos above).