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Eastern newt: juvenile red eft
It was great to learn about this brightly coloured and spotted juvenile stage of the eastern newt's life cycle.
The striking bright orange juvenile stage is land-dwelling and is known as a red eft.
This is specifically the red-spotted newt Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens sub-species.
Striking colouration of this stage is an example of aposematism, a warning to predators not to eat them.
After two to three years, the eft finds a pond and transforms into the aquatic adult.
Needing a moist environment with either a temporary or permanent body of water; sure enough, this specimen was seen on a forest floor close to small stream.
Around 7 cm in length.
The eastern newt or red-spotted newt is a common salamander of eastern North America. Eastern newts dwell in wet forests with small lakes or ponds. They can coexist in an aquatic environment with small, non-carnivorous fish, however, their skin secretes a poisonous substance when the newt is threatened or injured. They have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and may grow to 5 inches in length.
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