Ontario Salamander ID help please...

[WTP07]

My daughter found this little critter at school today, in some wet leaves. We are in the very southern part of Ontario. If anyone can help with the ID of this guy, we'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Randy.

[Dylan8i]

thats a red eft phase of a eastern newt... also known as a red spotted newt. its an immature terresterial phase that wonders all over before maturing and returning to a pond to breed. they should be very common. although the spots usually go down the sides... his seem to twist on to his back.

edit oh scientific name is Notophthalmus viridescens

[paulnj]

Those are pretty cool little newts! I find them in PA at our lakehouse after a rain.

[Dylan8i]

so i was looking in my field book, and i found out why the spots look different. This is because its an eastern newt (which coveres pretty much the whole east coast over to around the mississppi) but their are different sub species of which the ones in ontario are not the same as the red spotted variety in PA or KY (where i do my field work). But it is still an eastern newt.

[WTP07]

Thanks for the great info Dylan,

My daughter's class got an impromptu lesson on salamanders...:thumbsup:

Cheers,

Randy.