Eft
Related Category: Vertebrate Zoology
see newt.
More on Eft
Newt - name for members of a large salamander family, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and including the common European salamanders.
Red-spotted Newt, Red Eft (Notophthalmus v. viridescens)
Red-spotted Newts are among the most common salamanders in West Virginia. Adults are aquatic and have an olive-green back with scattered red spots and a yellow belly with small black dots.
Eft
Sexual Dimorphism
Aquatic males- during the breeding season and late fall- can be distinguished from females by the presence of black pads (excrescences) on the digits of their hind feet and a high tail fin.
red eft stage of the Central Newt (photo by G.S. Casper)
Wisconsin DNR Link ...
Eft
The terrestrial life stage of a newt. A newt is a type of salamander that has a terrestrial juvenile stage and semi-aquatic adult stage.
Emergent ...
The Eft stage may last anywhere from 1-7 years. Sometimes the eft stage is skipped completely and they go directly from the larval to the adult aquatic stage. This is particularly common in the southern subspecies, the Central Newt, N. v.
Red eft - terrestrial stage of the red-spotted newt
Salamanders of SC and GA
Reptiles and Amphibians of SC and GA ...
The Common Newt, also known as Smooth Newt or Brown Eft, only spends a portion of its life in water, for in summer, autumn and winter it lives on land exclusively.
The skin toxins of the terrestrial "eft" stage of the Eastern Newt are poisonous enough that small animals may be sickened or killed by eating them though few actually try, having been warned off by the eft's bright red or orange color.
There are three developmental stages in the life cycle of the newt; aquatic larvae with external gills, the terrestrial juvenile, or eft, and the aquatic adult.
This “red eft' stage (shown in the picture to the left) lasts for several years. Once they become sexually mature, they return to the water and live an aquatic life.
The terrestrial eft stage has been confirmed in Cook and DuPage Counties, but little else is known about the land form in this area. Some reports of surface activity by efts have been in August.
Terrestrial Sub-adults (red eft) Colorations:
The dorsal background color is light orange to dull red that becomes lighter ventrally.
The California Newt lives a dual life as either a terrestrial, non-breeding eft or an aquatic newt. During the late summer and fall months, this species has a terrestrial existence, hiding under logs and in rock crevices.
Eft (terrestrial stage): if moisture conditions are suitable, 2 to 4 years; bypassed if moisture levels are not conducive to terrestrial existence.
The red phase on land: During the time right after metamorphosis, many North American Newt species go through a phase called the eft phase. Their skin turns a reddish color and the animal lives its life on land, almost never seen in the water.
Miscellaneous: By evolving bright red coloration similar to that of the extremely toxic red eft (Notophthalmus viridescens), the red salamander benefits from the fact that many predators have learned to avoid bright red salamanders.
Unusual life cycle: begins as an aquatic larva, changes to terrestrial immature ("red eft", then finally changes to aquatic adult. Immature terrestrial efts found under leaf litter and logs. Aquatic adults live in ponds, and marshes.
The eft is rust brown, sometimes with red spots partly outlined in black. They have black dots and bellies similar to the adults. The terrestrial adult is dark brown above, often with no markings. The belly is like that of the other two stages.
Aquatic adult yellowish-brown or olive-green to dark brown above, yellow below; back and belly both peppered with small black spots. Land-dwelling eft, called the Red Eft, is orange-red to reddish-brown; varies in size from 1 3/8-3 3/8" (3.5-8.6 cm).
Eastern newts need small semi-permanent woodland ponds for breeding. They live in forests during their terrestrial (eft) stages, shelter under logs, leaves, rocks and other objects. Aquatic adults are found in pools, usually surrounded by woodland.
Its body is olive to light brown above and yellow below. The brown larvae emerge from eggs within a few days and may pass through an eft stage (reddish above, yellow below), living on land for a year or so before returning to water.
Similar to many salamanders, newts begin their development in the water. However, next they metamorphose into a reproductively immature terrestrial form called an "eft.
Juvenile eft stage is similar in color to adults, but more of a dull orange dorsally and the skin is rougher in appearance. Some populations have both metamorphosed and gilled adults.
 See also: Newt, Salamander, Red-spotted Newt, Reptile, Red Eft
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