Newts are amphibian animals that can live both in fresh water and on the land. Newts scientific name is Pleurodelinae. Newts have long tails to swim with and four short legs to move about on land. A newt is also called an eft. Newts are related to salamanders, and, like salamanders, many newts are brightly colored.
Newts are cold-blooded animals and hibernate through the winter. They breed in the spring, laying eggs singly on water plants in ponds. The eggs hatch to form tadpoles. These develop like the tadpoles of frogs except that the newt tadpole does not lose its tail.
Newts Scientific Name – Pleurodelinae
Some newts tadpoles never leave the water, and breed without reaching complete adulthood. Most newts spend much time in the water. Like frogs, they can breathe by absorbing oxygen from the water through their skin. But in the summer they usually leave the water to live in moist places on the land. Newts grow to a length of about three to six inches. They are unusual in that they can grow new legs to replace any they lose.
