Newt Facts
A newt is a semiaquatic salamander that splits its life between water and land, with a land-dwelling young stage called an eft.
- Class
- Amphibian
About the newt
More than 100 newt species live in Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America. North America has only two groups, the Pacific and Eastern newts, while Europe and the Middle East hold about 30 species and eastern Asia more than 40. Each newt passes through three stages: water larva, land juvenile and adult. Adults look a bit like lizards and return to the water each year for breeding.
Females lay eggs one at a time, often folding a plant leaf over each egg to protect it, unlike frogs, which lay eggs in clumps. A warty newt can produce 200 to 300 eggs. Larvae have feathery outer gills and hatch in about three weeks. Newts can also regrow lost body parts: cells at a wound can reset, multiply and rebuild a limb or organ. Habitat loss and pollution threaten many species.
Did you know?
- Scientists have counted the Yunnan lake newt as extinct since 1979.
- Some European newts live in cold, fast mountain streams.
- Newt skin is rougher than the skin of most other salamanders.
Questions about the newt
Where do newts live?
In Europe, Asia, North America and North Africa. They breed in ponds, ditches and slow water, then need moist places on land.
What is a baby newt called?
The water-dwelling young are larvae, and the land-dwelling juvenile stage is called an eft.
Sources
- Wikidata Q10980893, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Newt, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.