The eastern newt is both a critical part of its ecosystem and an important model organism for studies on limb regeneration, skin toxins and predator-prey dynamics. It’s also alarmingly susceptible to Bsal, a fungal pathogen, and highly likely to spread it across North America. https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/super-spreaders-how-the-curious-life-of-a-newt-could-ignite-a-pandemic/ | Mongabay.com

💧🦎 Although eastern newts are aquatic as larvae and adults, juveniles (called red efts) live on land! Around 2 to 5 months of age, their lungs, legs and eyelids make them more suited to life on land. As they search for water, they make their homes in leaf litter along the way. 🍂 See them in Amazonia! | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute