Amphibians and Reptiles of Minnesota

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Status

No status assigned in Minnesota.

Description

Newts are 2 1/2 -4 inches long (Conant and Collins, 1991). Adults may be brown or green and have small black dots scattered about. Below they are yellow or yellow-orange with small black dots. The eft is rust brown, sometimes with red spots partly outlined in black. They have black dots and bellies similar to the adults. The terrestrial adult is dark brown above, often with no markings. The belly is like that of the other two stages. The skin is rough in all forms. They have four toes on the front feet and five on the back.

Subspecies

Of the many subspecies of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), only one, the central newt (N. v. louisianensis) is found in Minnesota.

Range

Records for this species are scattered about northern and central Minnesota. There is only one record south of the Minnesota River. There will probably be more records from northeastern and east central parts of the state as this is where most of the best newt habitat in the state is found.

Habitat

Newts require small semipermanent woodland ponds for breeding. They live in coniferous forests in the north, and in hardwood forests in the south. They take shelter under logs, leaves, rocks and other objects, but it does not have to be moist under these shelters for newts to use them.

Habits

Aquatic adult newts are active in ponds all year. Efts and terrestrial adults overwinter under logs. Courtship and mating occur in the fall, winter, and spring. Females sometimes lay over 100 eggs singly or in clusters attached to vegetation in the water. The larvae hatch in late summer and either metamorphose into efts or become aquatic adults. The eft stage lasts from one to four years. After this time, they become aquatic adults that are sexually mature. Efts have rough, dry skin and may be found walking on the forest floor on a sunny day. They are the most agile of our salamanders on land. Efts are also toxic and foul-tasting to most predators. If the aquatic adults find their ponds drying up, they transform into a terrestrial adult until their pond refills with water. Eft stages are uncommon in Minnesota, but I have found terrestrial adults in Hennepin and Itasca counties. Newts are not entirely restricted to small ponds, as they have been found at depths up to 40 feet in large lakes.

Food

Newts in all stages feed on small invertebrates. Small crustaceans, fairy shrimp, amphibian and fish eggs, and insect larvae are important adult foods.