Eastern newt
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
SPECIES
Notophthalmus viridescens
Length
7-12.4
2.8-4.9
cminch
cm inch 

The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens ) is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish. It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and it may grow to 5 in (13 cm) in length. These animals are common aquarium pets, being either collected from the wild or sold commercially. The striking bright orange juvenile stage, which is land-dwelling, is known as a red eft. Some sources blend the general name of the species and that of the red-spotted newt subspecies into the eastern red-spotted newt (although there is no "western" one).

No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

In

Insectivores

Na

Natatorial

Te

Terrestrial

Po

Polygynandry

Po

Polygamy

Ve

Venomous

So

Solitary

Ae

Aestivation

No

Not a migrant

E

starts with

Video

Distribution

Geography

Eastern newts are at home in both coniferous and deciduous forests. They need a moist environment with either a temporary or permanent body of water, and thrive best in a muddy environment. During the eft stage, they may travel far from their original location. Red efts may often be seen in a forest after a rainstorm. Adults prefer a muddy aquatic habitat, but will move to land during a dry spell. Eastern newts have some amount of toxins in their skin, which is brightly colored to act as a warning. Even then, only 2% of larvae make it to the eft stage. Some larvae have been found in the pitchers of the carnivorous plant Sarracenia purpurea.

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Eastern newts eat a variety of prey, such as insects, small mollusks and crustaceans, young amphibians, worms, and frog eggs. They also eat a lot of snails, beetles, ants, and mosquito larvae. Their dietary habits prove to be very beneficial to humans because they help to control insect populations. They are very active animals and they tend to feed every two to three days.

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Eastern newt habitat map

Climate zones

Eastern newt habitat map
Eastern newt
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Habits and Lifestyle

Eastern newts have three stages of life: (1) the aquatic larva or tadpole, (2) the red eft or terrestrial juvenile stage, and (3) the aquatic adult.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
BABY CARRYING
200 to 400

Population

Conservation

Although eastern newts are widespread throughout North America, they, like many other species of amphibians, are increasingly threatened by several factors including habitat fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation, and emergent infectious diseases. The biodiversity of amphibians across the United States is considered to be threatened due to the loss of wetlands and furthermore, their connectivity; since the 1780s, more than 53% of wetlands in the United States have been lost. Wild eastern newts are known hosts of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Ranavirus. They are also highly susceptible to the newly emergent chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Eastern newt Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_newt
2. Eastern newt on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59453/78906143

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