Salamanders are often informally divided into two groups, “true salamanders” and newts. These two groups are very similar but do have some differences. Salamanders typically have smooth moist skin while newts tend to have more rough, grainy skin. Newts look somewhat like lizards. They have a slender body, a long tail, and four short legs. … Read more
Dogs are natural predators, so it is common for them to chase and catch smaller animals in their mouths. Sometimes, these “smaller animals” may include certain species of newts. But are newts poisonous to dogs? All newts produce toxic skin secretions that can be very irritating or even lethal when ingested by a dog. This … Read more
In the winter, we do not see many newts and salamanders. This is because they are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals, meaning they can not regulate their internal body temperature. When the environmental temperatures rise or fall, so does their internal temperature. So where do newts go in the winter? All newts hibernate to protect themselves from … Read more
Newts are semi-aquatic animals, which means they live both on land and in the water. They have different ways of breathing in each of these unique environments. On land, they breathe using their lungs, just like us. In the water, they breathe through a process known as cutaneous respiration (breathing through the skin). Newts can … Read more
Fire belly newts, (sometimes called Fire-Bellied Newts) are originally from Asia and are one of the most popular non-native newts kept as pets in the United States. These newts are actually two different species, but they are so similar that they are often referred to as a single species. But are fire belly newts poisonous? … Read more
Newts are capable of living long lives. How long a newt will live depends on many factors. For wild newts, their lifespan will depend on the environment they live in, and the predators they have to deal with. The lifespan of captive newts is mainly dependent on how well their owners take of them. Depending … Read more