View Full Version : (?) Bright Orange Salamander in VA
Ground Control
09-10-2012, 10:48
Found this little guy standing tall right in the middle of the trail. He was about halfway between the Iron Mtn shelter and the VanderVenter Shelter on August 15th in the mid-morning. Not much for scale in the pictures, but he couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 inches in length.
Can anyone give me a positive ID? :-?
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Hi bro the Iron MT and Vanderventer shelters are in Tennesse just a few miles south of the VA state line. no i don't Know the name of that salamander but i have seen Millions of them.
coach lou
09-10-2012, 11:40
Notophthalmus v. virdenscens/ Eastern Newt, Red Spotted Salamander, Red Eft.............same, same
bamboo bob
09-10-2012, 12:13
I think it's a Newt. There are a few thousand per mile in VT. Somebody decided to build tunnels under the highway to protect them. If anyone thinks they are rare, they are not.
hikerhobs
12-09-2012, 09:49
saw a couple of them on the west rim trail (pa grand canyon)
FarmerChef
12-10-2012, 11:59
Red eft for sure. When it's a rainy morning or just after when the ground is very moist, you will spot over a hundred of them in a 15 mile trek. We count them as a diversion on days when they're especially plentiful. Look carefully around the base of trees as you're passing by and where there's one you'll often see two or three more. At least, that's been our experience through Virginia.
coach lou
12-10-2012, 12:17
When it's wet in the AM, you have to be careful you don't squish them
FarmerChef
12-10-2012, 12:20
Too true. Our dog isn't quite as careful and I've seen more than one wriggle it's way off the trail after our husky has stepped on them. They're all ok (or at least appear to be), one of the benefits of being squishy to begin with I suppose.
heritage412
12-10-2012, 12:22
Enjoyed the pics!
The Solemates
12-10-2012, 18:38
red spotted newt (aka eft).
in jersey we counted over 100 of them before lunch one day. be careful where you step!
"She turned me into a newt!!!"
Sorry, couldn't resist...
Rain Man
12-13-2012, 10:24
Appears to have three toes. Memory says that tells you what stage of maturity it is. If I recall correctly, efts, newts, and salamanders are all the same animal, simply at different stages of growth. Just promise not to quote me on that!
Rain Man
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Drybones
12-13-2012, 10:37
I lived in Dansville, NY for 5 years and the wife and I would go to Rattlesnake Hill to run and bike. Certain time of year those little fellows came out by the thousands, it was impossible to bike or run without flattening a few of them, no matter how hard you tried to avoid them, they were all over the trail.
Pedaling Fool
12-13-2012, 11:06
Appears to have three toes. Memory says that tells you what stage of maturity it is. If I recall correctly, efts, newts, and salamanders are all the same animal, simply at different stages of growth. Just promise not to quote me on that!
Rain Man
.All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. And efts are juvenile newts.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982204010322
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/salamander/ Shows animal kingdom breakdown of salamanders
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/newt/ Shows animal kingdom breakdown of newts
coach lou
12-13-2012, 12:08
Notophthalmus v. virdenscens/ Eastern Newt, Red Spotted Salamander, Red Eft.............same, same
......how do we say here.....BUMP.......
FarmerChef
12-13-2012, 15:06
Was thinking the same thing...
What I haven't figured out yet is why we see them in such abundance on the trail far from a water source like a pond. According to what I read they are bright orange in their juvenile stage while they are heading toward a water source where they turn greenish brown and become adults. Any clues?
coach lou
12-13-2012, 15:34
No idea, but like frogs........it shows a healthy environment.
Rain Man
12-13-2012, 18:10
All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. And efts are juvenile newts.
Many thanks for the info and links!
Rain Man
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FarmerChef
12-13-2012, 18:16
You're welcome! Couldn't resist. Now the little red efts have two pages, I hope...:banana
FarmerChef
12-13-2012, 18:19
Drat - miscounted. Oh well. Thought the little orange guys were deserving.
bear bag hanger
12-14-2012, 15:15
Was thinking the same thing...
What I haven't figured out yet is why we see them in such abundance on the trail far from a water source like a pond. According to what I read they are bright orange in their juvenile stage while they are heading toward a water source where they turn greenish brown and become adults. Any clues?
Never heard that. I was once told is there is a green version of the same newt and they are just as abundant, but you don't see them because they are so well camouflaged. I've only ever seen one green one, but see the orange ones every time I hike up north.
swjohnsey
12-16-2012, 07:56
Like other slow, brightly colored animals, they are poisonous.
Drybones
12-16-2012, 10:20
Like other slow, brightly colored animals, they are poisonous.
Beware of women in colorful clothing.
Rain Man
12-16-2012, 12:10
Beware of women in colorful clothing.
He said "slow." They're all faster than I am! Most everybody is. LOL
Rain:sunMan
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