Red-spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens]

Red-spotted Newt [Eastern Newt] [Notophthalmus viridescens]

Please remember while out herping in Pennsylvania you need to have a current fishing license and please please remember to follow decontamination procedures as not to spread germs,diseases and unwanted fungus to these important areas!If you not willing do follow these procedures,you should not be out!I personally always wear protective gloves[Nitrile] ,even if I don't handle salamanders and I do try to never touch them.I also spray myself [boots,waders,gloves,net,photographic tank...] with a chlorhexidine solution.
[Chlorhexidine, is a disinfectant and antiseptic that is used for skin disinfection]

Male Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens]. Tioga County, Pa. 4-25-22

Looking very much like an ancient dinosaur from some far away place, this gravid [full of eggs] is a female Red Spotted Newt [Notophalmus viridescens]. This small creatures lineage and other amphibians just like it, can be traced back millions of years to the time of the dinosaurs, pretty incredible when you stop and think about it! Dauphin County, Pa. 3-14-22

A gravid female Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalus viridescens], Dauphin County, Pa. 3-19-22

A very gravid female Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalus viridescens], looking like she could explode at anytime! These newts can breed anytime of the year, laying individual eggs on vegetation. In some of the pictures you see the eggs through the skin membrane. When she moved it was easy to see her eggs moving inside her Dauphin County, Pa. 3-19-22

Juvenile Red Spotted Newt called an Eft and a Adult [Nothophthalmus virdescens].Tioga County,Pa.4-26-21. Efts spend several years living on land before turning a brownish color and living in water the rest of their lives.

Male Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalnums viridescens].Pa.3-8-21

Male Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Tioga county,Pa.12-13-20.

Male Red Spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Tioga county,Pa.12-13-20.Red-spotted newts breed from autumn through very early summer.During the mating season the males develop broadly keeled tails,swollen vents and cornified toe tips and horny black ridges and pads on the inner surfaces of the thighs"[clearly seen in the pictures].From the book "Salamanders of the United States and Canada" by James W. Petranka.Also northern populations court during the autumn and spring but the females do not lay eggs until the spring.

Red Eft,Juvenile Red-Spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Schuylkill County,Pa.10-26-20.At just two inches this is the smallest Red Eft I have ever seen and photographed.Spending two months as a larvae in pools before metamorphosis to land as a Red Eft.This stage can last up to seven years,before maturing to an adult and becoming a olive green color with red spots with bright yellow underside,and heading back to pools and living in water for the rest their lives [12-15 years].Only leaving the water in the fall to hibernate on land.

A comparison picture showing the undersides of two larvae, Red-spotted newt [notophthalmus viridescens] on the left and Spotted Salamander [Ambystoma maculatum] on the right.Coos County,N.H.9-5-15.Both with tail damage.

An adult aquatic Eastern Newt.Dauphin County,Pa.3-27-19 [Notophthalmus viridescens].

My first Red-spotted Newt larva [Notophthalmus viridescens].Coos County,N.H.9-2-18

A beautiful male adult aquatic Red-spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Dauphin County,Pa.11-26-17.Those toes are amazing!"Red-spotted newts breed from autumn through very early summer.During the mating season the males develop broadly keeled tails,swollen vents and cornified toe tips and horny black ridges and pads on the inner surfaces of the thighs"[clearly seen in the pictures].From the great book "Salamanders of the United States and Canada" by James W. Petranka.Also northern populations court during the autumn and spring but the females do not lay eggs until the spring.

Red-Spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Notice the damaged right eye and if you look close you can see a mite on this eye.Perry County,10-5-17

Notophthalmus viridescens,Red eft-juvenile.Tioga county,4-29-17

Notophthalmus viridescens.Dauphin County,4-18-17

Nothophthalmus viridescens and them eating Spotted salamander eggs [Ambystoma maculatum].Tioga County,4-15-17

Red-spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Aquatic adults.Schuylkill County,4-3-17

Red-spotted Newt [Notophthalmus viridescens].Dauphin county,6-12-15.Juvenile stage "Red Eft".The juveniles spend several years on land before migrating to water and transform into aquatic adults [pictures above] where they remain the rest of their lives.