Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Eastern newt
open-in-new
<p>The eastern newt (<i>Notophthalmus viridescens</i>) is a common <a href="/facts/Newt/2KNMYeSn">newt</a> of eastern <a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a>. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces <a href="/facts/Tetrodotoxin/hsEJAUwA">tetrodotoxin</a>, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and <a href="/facts/Crayfish/aXYaXaV8">crayfish</a>. It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and it may grow to 5 in (13 cm) in length. These animals are common <a href="/facts/Aquarium/vM9WdGKC">aquarium</a> <a href="/facts/Pet/vE9Qj8dR">pets</a>, being either collected from the wild or sold commercially. The striking bright orange juvenile stage, which is land-dwelling, is known as a red eft. Some sources blend the general name of the species and that of the red-spotted newt subspecies into the eastern red-spotted newt (although there is no "western" one). </p>