Eastern Red-spotted Newt, From Red Eft to Salamander

Can you spot the red eft in this picture?
Click for a larger version.
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2012

One of my favorite three-letter Scrabble words is "eft." An eft, more specifically a red eft, is the juvenile form of the Eastern red-spotted newt (notophthalmus viridescens).

Newts and Salamanders

The red eft is commonly called a newt, but where I grew up, the adult form is called a salamander. It looks and acts very different once it reaches the adult stage, so many don't realize that they are, in fact, the same creature.

A closer view shows how the red eft's coloring
blends in with the browns, yellows and oranges
of the forest floor in addition to advertising
its toxic nature.
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2012.

The juvenile Eastern red-spotted newt lives on the forest floor away from bodies of water, though it does prefer a moist environment. The adult is aquatic, and while it may occasionally climb out of the water onto the shore of a piece of driftwood, it lives, eats, and lays its eggs in the water.

They are also quite different in coloration and somewhat different in body shape. The juvenile red eft form is bright orange. It has small red spots outlined in black on its back and its belly is a lighter yellow-orange. The adult retains the red spots, but is a dark olive green that blends in well with mud. The underbelly of the adult tends toward yellow. Both have scattered, small black spots, like flakes of pepper on their sides and bellies.

The adults have tails better equipped for swimming. Unlike the juveniles', the adults' tail grows a thin ridge on the top and bottom to give it more surface area with which to push against the water as it swims.

Adult Eastern red-spotted newts prefer slow-moving bodies of water. They are most often found in still ponds or the shallow back-waters of larger lakes. They drift lazily at the surface or dive down to the bottom to forage in the muck. They are relatively easy to catch with a minnow net or even bare hands.

Despite the toxins in their skin, the Eastern
red-spotted newt can be safely handled.
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2012.

The orange juveniles are usually spotted walking along the forest floor, especially after a rain when the leaf litter is damp. Red efts may live on land for as many as three years before returning to the water as adults, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. They also note that both the juveniles and the adults are poisonous, secreting toxins in their skin to dissuade predation. Despite this, they are completely harmless to humans and can be carefully handled (though not eaten) without fear.

Quick facts about the Eastern red-spotted newt:

Classification: The Eastern red-spotted Newt is an amphibian like all salamanders, and not a reptile like lizards.

Diet: The Eastern red-spotted newt is generally carnivorous, eating insects, small smalls, worms, and the eggs of frogs and fish. NHPTV says that the red eft especially dines on springtails.

Where does the Eastern red-spotted newt go in the winter? The adults can survive and remain active all winter long under the ice. The land-based juveniles hibernate under rocks or logs.

Life cycle: Adults lay eggs which are individually attached to underwater vegetation although a female may lay as many as 400 in a single season. The eggs hatch into a larval form, like a frog's tadpole. The larva develops into the red eft and leaves the water for a period of 1-3 years before maturing into an aquatic adult. (Note that the IUCN data page says that red efts may persist in the juvenile stage for as long as seven years, but most sources list 1-4 years as typical. It seems counter-intuitive to me, that they would spend seven years as juveniles with an overall natural lifespan of 5-15 years. Perhaps, in rare cases where persistent drought or lack of food stunts their development or prevents them from finding a resident body of water, but under ordinary conditions, I'm not convinced of the seven year figure.)

Lifespan: Eastern red-backed newts can live up to 15 years according to the Connecticut Wildlife website.

IUCN Red List Status: The IUCN lists the Eastern red-spotted newt as a species of least concern due to large numbers and widespread habitat.

Taxonomy of the Eastern red-spotted Newt:

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Chordata
Phylum: Amphibia
Order: Caudata
Family: Salamandridae
Genus: Notophthalmus
Species: Notophthalmus viridescens