Kinds Of Newts

All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. Of the 60 genera of salamanders in the order caudata, 16 are commonly referred to as newts and all belong to the salamandridae family. Newts tend to be salamanders that spend most of year living a terrestrial lifestyle, only returning to the water to breed.

  1. Asian Newts

    • Asia is home to six different genera of newt and around 30 different species. The genus paramesotriton alone has nine different species commonly known as warty newts. As the name suggests, these newts generally have rough, warty skin and are all native to China. The fire-bellied newts of the genus cynops live in China and Japan and are known for their deep red undersides. The knobby newts are native to south China and southeast Asia, pachytriton newts are also from China. Laotriton newts are native to Laos and the echinotriton newts to Japan.

    European Newts

    • Europe is also home to six genera of newts, the largest of which is triturus, or the crested newts. They are so called because of the males' spinal crest, which develops in the breeding season. The next largest genus is lissotriton, a group which was formerly part of the crested newts. Calotrton newts are native to Europe and are commonly known as brook newts. Euproctus newts are better known as European brook newts and the sole species in Ichthyosaura is the Alpine newt.

    North American Newts

    • The U.S. is home to two different genera of newt. Tiricha is the largest genus in the U.S. with four different species. More commonly known as pacific newts, all four species are found in the western U.S. The other genus is notophthalmus, which is better known as the North American newts. The three species in this genus are found mainly in the southeastern region of the country.

    Middle Eastern Newts

    • The Middle East is home to two genera of newts: neurergus, the spotted newts, and ommatotriton. The species from these two genera are found in countries including Iran, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. The arid regions in which these species tend to live mean they have to be adaptable and make use of the smallest of streams.

    African Newts

    • The genus pleurodeles, better known as the ribbed newts, consists of three species, all of which are found in the most northern African countries such as Morocco, and Algeria. The Spanish ribbed newt is also found in southern Spain as well as in Africa. They tend to be large, broad-bodied newts that can flatten their bodies so as to be able to slip beneath rocks.