5 inches long, black spots, with irregular yellowish stripes, and an orange bellie. Always wet, totally aquatic. Offspring are like tadpoles, which have gills, and are always under the water.
Very solitary.
The Black Spotted Newt camoflourages well with its environment. When water is scarce, it will find rocks or logs to live under.
The male Newt will lay his sperm on the ground under water. The female will walk over it and pick it up, with her cloaca. She will lay many long strands of eggs, similar to a frog. The eggs will stay under water, until they hatch.
The Black Spotted Newt has been in captivity for 4-5 yrs. They are breeded at the Fort Worth Zoo.
Jim Butler jimbutler96@hotmail.com
Sources and Links:
Handbook of Salamanders (p. 99)
By Comstock Publishing Company, Inc
Copyright, 1943
Bishop
Ellen Trout Zoo
http://www.ellentroutzoo.com/aom/aom_newt.htm
Notophthalmus meridionalis-Black Spotted Newt (Cope, 1880). http://www.livingunderworld.org/gallery/photos/caudata/salamandridae
/notophthalmus/meridionalis/links/001.htm
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia
By Dr. Bernhard Grzimek
Copyright 1974
Litton World Trade Corporation
