Red-Spotted Newt

It was another day in the woods cutting firewood and another "critter encounter". This time the critter was a Red-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), also known as an Eastern Newt.



This bright orangish-red color indicates it is a juvenile Red-Spotted Newt, which is known as the red eft stage.



During the red eft stage the Red-Spotted Newt is a land-dwelling sub-adult. As Red-Spotted Newts grow into adulthood, their color turns olive to dark green and they leave the land to become aquatic.



It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and may grow to five inches in length.