Red Eft

Species of Concern

August/September 2024

Newt or Salamander?

Here’s an eft I recently saw sauntering nonchalantly along the trail. You can often spot them in the leaf litter on the forest floor, standing out brightly. I’ve been told “It’s really a newt.” But some say with confidence, “No, it’s a salamander.” Which is it? Both  it turns out.

The Family Salamandridae includes 2 primary branches: the Subfamily Pleurodelinae, which includes newts, and the Subfamily Salamandrinae, which consists of true salamanders. The red eft is the terrestrial stage in the life cycle of the Eastern newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. There are four subspecies of the Eastern newt. In my area, the most common is the red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens). Until I began reading up, I had no idea that during the eft stage, they adventure away from their natal water and wander for up to 3 years before “homing,” using magnetic orientation to return to their home range of vernal pools and ponds to breed.

Warning: Don’t Eat Me

The bright warning coloration of the red terrestrial stage advertises that they are unpalatable to predators, which could explain their nonchalant sauntering. They contain (and can emit from their skin) a tetrodotoxin that is a neurotoxin and powerful emetic. Like many amphibians with an absorbent skin, they are sensitive to ecosystem changes and pollution, so the presence of the Eastern newt can signal a healthy ecosystem.

In the fall the red eft, despite its bold “eat me if you dare” coloration, looks like several other things on the forest floor—the turning leaves of Black Gum, the red color of Russula mushrooms and other fungi, the red seeds in the pods of the Cucumber Magnolia.

SOS: Save Our Salamanders

The Appalachian region is known for its density of salamander species. As an article by the National Park Service on amphibians along the Blue Ridge Parkway notes, “The Southern Appalachians are considered the center of salamander diversity on earth.”  Habitat loss constitutes one primary reason for species decline and raises concerns about long-term sustainability for many creatures. The more we carve up and develop the Appalachian forests, the fewer chances we’ll have to spot an eft. We’ll be bereft.