Scientific classification: Newts belong to the family Salamandridae. The common red-spotted newt is classified as Notophthalmus.
Introduction
Newt applies generally to certain members of a family of relatively small salamanders, most of which spend at least part of their lives in water. The many species are widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Newts often are brightly colored and active, salamander facts and most are about 8 to 14 cm (about 3 to 5.5 in) long.
Species
One of the most familiar species is the common red-spotted newt of the eastern and central United States. The adult is olive or tannish-green, spotted on the sides with red surrounded by black; the belly is yellow with small black dots. This salamander lives in thickly vegetated ponds and streams and feeds on aquatic snails and insects. The female attaches its sticky eggs to aquatic plants; the eggs are deposited singly. The newly hatched larvae are equipped with gills that become rudimentary when the larvae are about 2.5 cm (about 1 in) long. At this point, salamander facts the larvae, which are known as red efts because they are bright reddish-orange with black spots, leave the water and spend the next few years on land in damp, wooded regions. They eventually return to the water, develop the adult coloration, and remain in an aquatic habitat.