Central Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis
Natural History:
The Central Newt looks very similar to the Red-Spotted Newt although the Central Newts are found further west. Individuals can be differentiated from Red-Spotted Newts by the absence of spots in some individuals while others have spots but lack the black outline surrounding the red spot which is found in the red-spotted subspecies.
Like the Red-Spotted Newt, the Central Newt is a subspecies of the Eastern Newt which is known for their peculiar life cycle. Like other aquatic larvae of salamanders, the larval newt has a paddle like tail and external feathery gills. Eventually the larvae leave the water and grow into the red eft stage which is bright orange to warn predators of its neurotoxic poisons. The efts eventually lose their colour and become a terrestrial adult. When breeding season occurs however they change again into an aquatic adult form where they grow a paddle like tail and webbing to adapt to their aquatic environment. This form is used to breed although many newts can be found in this during the winter as well where they hide from the cold under the ice where the water is still liquid. Some individuals of Eastern Newt, especially those in the Central Newt subspecies skip the eft stage completely and change from larvae straight into an aquatic adult. These neotenic individuals often still have remnant gills.
Many speculate that based on the close similarities in the genetics of the Central Newt and Red-Spotted Newt, it is more likely that they should be considered separate populations rather than subspecies. This is backed by some populations of subspecies having different lineages than other populations of the same subspecies. For example the population of Central Newts in Southern Iowa have more similar genetics with Peninsula Newts than with Central Newts from other populations. This shows that there is not as much of a divide as previously thought when subspecies were first described over a hundred years ago. Many still use the separation of subspecies in order to differentiate between populations with separate life cycles such as the life cycle of the Peninsula Newt being different than that of Ontario newt populations.
Regardless of genetics and lineages of populations, many texts still refer to the subspecies as being separate. In Ontario while the lines between the two native subspecies is blurred by genetics, many texts and resources describe the Red-Spotted Newt as being found in Southern Ontario while the Central Newt is found closer to Thunder Bay and the Manitoba boarder. Central Newts area also believed to range south of Ontario and the great lakes to Texas and South Carolina.
The Central Newt looks very similar to the Red-Spotted Newt although the Central Newts are found further west. Individuals can be differentiated from Red-Spotted Newts by the absence of spots in some individuals while others have spots but lack the black outline surrounding the red spot which is found in the red-spotted subspecies.
Like the Red-Spotted Newt, the Central Newt is a subspecies of the Eastern Newt which is known for their peculiar life cycle. Like other aquatic larvae of salamanders, the larval newt has a paddle like tail and external feathery gills. Eventually the larvae leave the water and grow into the red eft stage which is bright orange to warn predators of its neurotoxic poisons. The efts eventually lose their colour and become a terrestrial adult. When breeding season occurs however they change again into an aquatic adult form where they grow a paddle like tail and webbing to adapt to their aquatic environment. This form is used to breed although many newts can be found in this during the winter as well where they hide from the cold under the ice where the water is still liquid. Some individuals of Eastern Newt, especially those in the Central Newt subspecies skip the eft stage completely and change from larvae straight into an aquatic adult. These neotenic individuals often still have remnant gills.
Many speculate that based on the close similarities in the genetics of the Central Newt and Red-Spotted Newt, it is more likely that they should be considered separate populations rather than subspecies. This is backed by some populations of subspecies having different lineages than other populations of the same subspecies. For example the population of Central Newts in Southern Iowa have more similar genetics with Peninsula Newts than with Central Newts from other populations. This shows that there is not as much of a divide as previously thought when subspecies were first described over a hundred years ago. Many still use the separation of subspecies in order to differentiate between populations with separate life cycles such as the life cycle of the Peninsula Newt being different than that of Ontario newt populations.
Regardless of genetics and lineages of populations, many texts still refer to the subspecies as being separate. In Ontario while the lines between the two native subspecies is blurred by genetics, many texts and resources describe the Red-Spotted Newt as being found in Southern Ontario while the Central Newt is found closer to Thunder Bay and the Manitoba boarder. Central Newts area also believed to range south of Ontario and the great lakes to Texas and South Carolina.