Newt

A newt, also known as an eft, is an aquatic amphibian of the family Salamandridae, although not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts. Newts are classified in the subfamily Pleurodelinae of the family Salamandridae, and are found in North America, Europe and Asia. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (called an eft), and adult. Adult newts have lizard-like bodies and may be either fully aquatic, living permanently in the water, or semi-aquatic, living terrestrially but returning to the water each year to breed.
==Characteristics==
Newts share many of the characteristics of their salamander kin, Caudata, including semi-permeable glandular skin, four equal-sized limbs and a distinct tail. The newt's skin, however, is not as smooth as that of other salamanders.
===Development===
The main breeding season for newts is (in the Northern Hemisphere) between the months of June and July. After courtship rituals of varying complexity, which take place in ponds or slow moving streams, the male newt transfers a spermatophore which is taken up by the female. Fertilized eggs are laid singly and are usually attached to aquatic plants.
===Toxicity===
Many newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defence mechanism against predators. Taricha newts of western North America are particularly toxic. The Rough-skinned newt Taricha granulosa of the Pacific Northwest produces more than enough tetrodotoxin to kill an adult human, and some Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used the toxin to poison their enemies. However, the toxins are only dangerous if ingested, and the newts can easily and safely live in the same ponds or streams as frogs and other amphibians, or be safely kept as pets.
==Breeds==
===Red-Spotted Newt===
The red eft is bright orangish-red in color, with darker red spots outlined in black. An eastern newt can have as many as 21 of these spots. The pattern of these spots differs among the subspecies. During this stage, the eft may travel far, acting as a dispersal stage from one pond to another, ensuring outcrossing in the population.
===Alpine Newt===
The alpine newt is a newt of the salamander order Caudata (or Urodela) in the class of amphibians.
==Gallery==
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Category:Animals
Category:Galleries