
Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), terrestrial (juvenile) eft
I found this sweet little guy in my back yard this morning. He wasn't warm enough to move yet so I held him in my hand for a minute or two. Then I set him on a leaf and got his shot before he crawled off into the tall grass.

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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