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DebW
11-12-2002, 13:04
Efts are the bright orange salamanders that you see along the trail, especially after a rain. There's a picture in the photo gallery if you don't know what they look like. They have an interesting life cycle. They breed in shallow ponds. You will see dozens of them near the shore of Stratton Pond in Vermont in the summer. In their breeding phase they are fully aquatic and brown, green, or yellow in color and are known as red spotted newts. The larvae are aquatic for a couple months, then change into the terrestrial form known as efts. The sexually immature efts are bright orange and completely terrestrial for 2 to 7 years. The animal is toxic in this stage so is seldom prey for anything else.

Anyone have some good eft stories? Where have you seen the greatest number? Are they everywhere along the trail?

Hammock Hanger
11-12-2002, 13:15
after awhile being land salamanders they return to the water never to return to the land again. HH

MOWGLI
11-12-2002, 13:25
Originally posted by DebW
Anyone have some good eft stories?

Somewhere in Southern PA I came across a large fungus about the same color as an Eft. Crawling all around & on top of it were at least a half dozen Efts.

When I listened very carefully, I could hear... ever so faintly... "mama".

True story.

At least the first part.

MOWGLI
11-12-2002, 15:44
Originally posted by DebW


Where have you seen the greatest number? Are they everywhere along the trail?

PA seemed to have the most EFTS, but much of my hike in March, April and early May was too cold for them to be out & about. I did see Efts from TN to VT however. I may have even seen them in NH & ME. Don't recall, as I was desensitized to Red Efts by then, having seen thousands of them.

DebW
11-12-2002, 16:36
Originally posted by Mowgli16
Somewhere in Southern PA I came across a large fungus about the same color as an Eft. Crawling all around & on top of it were at least a half dozen Efts.

When I listened very carefully, I could hear... ever so faintly... "mama".

True story.

At least the first part.

Thanks Mowgli, that's a very funny story. Except mamma wasn't orange and she was under water.:D

The Hog
11-21-2002, 17:46
Although this info is way out of date (I hiked the AT in 1984), the biggest concentration of red efts that I encountered was about 20 miles north of Buchanan, VA, just south of the Thunder Hill LT. In places, they were so numerous that one had to take care not to step on them. I got into the habit of gently picking them up by the base of the tail and placing them a short ways off the footpath so they wouldn't get crushed. Another thruhiker,"Sarasota Rich" Moore, dubbed me "The Newt Savior," but the name didn't stick. I guess I'll have to resign myself to always being "The Hog." That's OK. I've grown to like it. Many people try to live UP to their nicknames, but I try to live DOWN to mine.