Page 113 - A Field Guide to Fairfax County's Plants and Wildlife
P. 113
tern Red-spotted Newt
(Notophthalmus viridescens)
Description
Adults are 3 to 8 centimeters
long and colored olive-green
to brownish-yellow on the
back, with paler bellies, and are
covered in red dots edged in
black. Juveniles are brick-red to
orange with mostly black spots, although there may be a few black-edged red
spots near the tail. Red-spotted Newts have an unusual life cycle. Like most
amphibians, they lay eggs in water that hatch into aquatic larvae with gills.
But unlike other salamanders, the larvae metamorphose into a land-dwelling
juvenile stage called a red eft. Newts usually stay in the eft stage from one to
three years, then transform into aquatic adults (although some populations in
the Coastal Plain province skip the eft stage).
Distribution and Habitat Unlike other salamanders, Eastern
Red-spotted Newts do not hibernate
Occur in all five physiographic but stay active through the winter.
provinces. Adults and larvae are They sometimes can be seen moving
aquatic and live in ponds, lakes and around under the ice!
pools near streams. Red efts dwell
in moist woodland areas. Efts avoid
direct sunlight but are often found
roaming around on the forest floor
during the daytime.
Role in Food Web
Larvae, efts and adults are all
carnivorous. Prey includes insects,
leeches, worms, tiny mollusks and
crustaceans, young amphibians and
frog eggs. Many creatures feed on
newts, with fish, turtles, snakes and
Raccoons being the main predators.
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(Notophthalmus viridescens)
Description
Adults are 3 to 8 centimeters
long and colored olive-green
to brownish-yellow on the
back, with paler bellies, and are
covered in red dots edged in
black. Juveniles are brick-red to
orange with mostly black spots, although there may be a few black-edged red
spots near the tail. Red-spotted Newts have an unusual life cycle. Like most
amphibians, they lay eggs in water that hatch into aquatic larvae with gills.
But unlike other salamanders, the larvae metamorphose into a land-dwelling
juvenile stage called a red eft. Newts usually stay in the eft stage from one to
three years, then transform into aquatic adults (although some populations in
the Coastal Plain province skip the eft stage).
Distribution and Habitat Unlike other salamanders, Eastern
Red-spotted Newts do not hibernate
Occur in all five physiographic but stay active through the winter.
provinces. Adults and larvae are They sometimes can be seen moving
aquatic and live in ponds, lakes and around under the ice!
pools near streams. Red efts dwell
in moist woodland areas. Efts avoid
direct sunlight but are often found
roaming around on the forest floor
during the daytime.
Role in Food Web
Larvae, efts and adults are all
carnivorous. Prey includes insects,
leeches, worms, tiny mollusks and
crustaceans, young amphibians and
frog eggs. Many creatures feed on
newts, with fish, turtles, snakes and
Raccoons being the main predators.
r 109 r
