Over 100 species of semiaquatic salamanders in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. They go from water-living larva to a land-living juvenile called an eft, and adults return to water each year to breed.
Quick answers
What is it?Amphibian
Carnivore?Insects only
Dangerous?Can be
Many newts have toxic skin. The rough-skinned newt of the Pacific Northwest carries enough tetrodotoxin to kill an adult human.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Crested newts are mostly nocturnal during their time in the water.
Hibernates?Yes
Over most of its range it hibernates in winter, often with many newts sharing one underground hiding place.
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Several species are kept as pets, including fire-bellied and paddletail newts.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, Africa
HabitatRivers & lakes, Wetland, Forest
ColoursBrown, Orange
SizeTiny
LengthUp to 16 cm (great crested newt, females)
Legs4
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for6–14 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Did you know
Some newts carry enough poison in their skin to kill a person.
The Yunnan lake newt is thought to have died out in 1979.
Often confused with
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