Eastern Newt

Notophthalmus viridescens

A small newt with red, black-ringed spots that lives in water, then on land as a red 'eft,' then in water again.

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About the Eastern Newt

Eastern newts are 2.5 to 5 inches long, yellow or greenish-brown with black-ringed red spots and yellow bellies. They live in the eastern United States and southern Canada, from Canada to Florida and west to the Great Lakes and Texas. Larvae and adults live in ponds, lakes and marshes, while young land-dwelling newts, called efts, live in leaf litter. They eat invertebrates, including mosquitoes.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Notophthalmus viridescens^[1]
Size: 2.5 to 5 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: 12 to 15 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore at every stage. Invertebrates, including water insects like mosquitoes.^[1]
Habitat: Ponds, lakes and marshes; leaf litter as efts.^[1]
Where it lives: Eastern North America, from Canada to Florida and west to the Great Lakes and Texas.^[1]
Babies: 200 to 400 eggs laid one at a time on water plants.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Eastern newts have three different life stages.^[1]
Young land-dwelling newts are called efts.^[1]
Newts eat mosquitoes, which helps people.^[1]

Vocabulary

eft: The young, land-living stage of a newt.
metamorphosis: A big change in body form as an animal grows, like a tadpole turning into a frog.
larva: A young animal that looks very different from the adult, such as a tadpole.
toxin: A poison made by a living thing.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · AmazoniaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Eastern newt.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/eastern-newt (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Notophthalmus viridescens (Eastern Newt).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59453/193389835 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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