Red-spotted Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens viridescensAppearance 1
As a juvenile, their back color is light brown to yellowish brown with a dark stripe in the middle of the head. The teenage or "eft" stage gives the salamander the appearance of being red with red spots. As an adult, their back color is olive green to yellowish brown with small, black spots scattered over the body. Its sides have red spots that are bordered by black. They range from 5.5-12 cm in length.The belly is consistently light, and it is scattered with black spots.
Habitat 1
Their primary habitat consists of ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams, and creeks.
Behavior/Reproduction 1
Adults reach sexual maturity at age 3. They breed from late winter to early spring. Females lay anywhere from 200-400 eggs on submerged vegetation each season. This species of salamander is nocturnal, and they move quickly in water. They use chemical and visual cues to locate food.
Fun Fact 1
Their skin is toxic to their predators, so they can inhabit the same areas as fish and other organisms that would typically eat them.
Citations 2
Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. 66-70pp.
Petranka, James W. ,1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. 451-462pp.
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Notophthalmus_viridescens/
Sources and Credits
- Adapted by loveem01 from a work by (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- (c) loveem01, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
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| Category | Amphibians and Reptiles |
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