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Encyclopedia / Frogs & Newts / Eastern newt
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Variations

3 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Eastern newt

Notophthalmus viridescens · Red-spotted newt, Eft, Red eft, Spotted newt

Peaceful in groups; toxic skin.

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10 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Eastern newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Eastern newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Eastern newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?3 or more
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓10–15 years
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Peaceful in groups; toxic skin. Not for fish tanks.

Check your local laws. US: genus Notophthalmus (including this native species) is listed as injurious under the Lacey Act (Bsal rule): no import into the US and no shipment between US jurisdictions without a permit; sale and possession within a state are not affected by that rule. State wild-collection rules vary (not checked state by state). Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Needs a land area; the juvenile eft stage lives on land.

Food

Bloodworms, blackworms and brine shrimp.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Breeding males have enlarged hind legs with black horny pads on the inner thighs and toe tips, a swollen vent and a high, wavy tail crest; females lack these.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer · Moderate

Breeds in water from late winter to early spring; the female lays single, jelly-covered eggs on submerged plants a few per day over several weeks, with no parental care.

Pairing

Group of 3-6.

Setup

Planted aquarium with a land ramp.

What starts it

Winter cooling then warmth.

Eggs

200-400 single eggs per season on submerged vegetation; incubation 3-8 weeks depending on temperature.

Raising the fry

Larvae eat daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Warm water
  • Fish tankmates
  • Dirty tank
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionEastern North America – USA & Canada
Rivers and lakesPonds and lakes of the eastern USA and southeastern Canada
HabitatPonds, lakes and woodlands
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
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The story of the eastern newt

A North American newt with a three-stage life: aquatic larva, a bright red-orange land-living 'red eft' juvenile (2-3 years on land), then an aquatic adult. Its toxic skin deters predators. Common in the pet trade, either wild-collected or bred.

Constantine Rafinesque described the eastern newt in 1820. Its young often spend years on land as the bright orange 'red eft'. It returns to water as an adult.

First described by Constantine S. Rafinesque in 1820.

  • Juveniles often live on land as red efts.
  • Its skin contains tetrodotoxin.
  • It can live for over 12 years.

Sources

10 facts checked with sources