Eastern/Red-Spotted Newts

Family Salamandridae

Notophthalmus viridescens- eastern newt or red-spotted newt

                           

            Our Herpetology class took a Field Trip to the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel, SC. This area of land used to be home of several rice plantations and filled with many historical and cultural resources.  It was a beautiful place filled with trails and wildlife that caught everyone’s attention. It was also a place where we got to get muddy and dirty in our waders in order to retrieve specimens from minnow traps that had been laid out for us the day prior. While trudging through the muddy swamps, we also got to examine baby alligators swimming in the water as well as observing them basking in the sun.

            When we made it to the dock near the end of our adventure, we had several minnow traps place underneath and around it. This was where we found several slimy salamanders, which we later identified to be Notophthalmus viridescens or as more commonly known, the eastern newt or red-spotted newt. The eastern newts are prevalent across eastern North America and are most often found in wet forests with small lakes or ponds. They can exist outside of water as long as they have a permanent body of water nearby. They tend to grow up to 5 inches and length and can live up to 15 years of age. Their biggest defense mechanism is the poisonous substance they can secrete at any time when feeling threatened. This is very toxic to others! They are most commonly recognized by their little black and red spots on their body.

            The eastern newts have a 3-stage-life cycle that consists of the aquatic larva or tadpole, the terrestrial juvenile stage (also known as the red eft stage), and the aquatic adult. The larva have gills and often do not leave their moist environment. When they are in their red eft stage, they often travel far away in order to increase their genetic diversity. They then eventually turn into an aquatic adult, where they return to water and live their life in or around water. They range from greenish brown to yellowish brown on their backs, with the red and black speckles covering the body. Their belly is a lighter color than the black often varying from yellow to orange. They tend to eat worms, insects, small crayfish, snails, mussels and fish eggs.

            Eastern newts tend to breed in the late winter and early spring. Males can generally be distinguished during breeding season by their swollen cloaca, higher tail fin, and black tubercles on their thighs and feet of their hind legs. Males also tend to have wider back legs and a yellow-colored gland on their cloaca. 
           It was truly an awesome experience being able to physically hold an Eastern newt and be in its environment. I definitely learned a lot from this field trip and am ready for more!