Category: Amphibians
Also called red-spotted newts, these beautiful amphibians reside in lakes, ponds, streams, or nearby wet forests. They are common aquarium pets and can live as long as 15 years! They have a varied diet that includes insects, small mollusks and crustaceans, young amphibians, worms and frog eggs. (US)
Learn more about the Eastern Newt at Wikipedia and Reptiles Magazine.
Caecilians: The Limbless Enigma
Caecilians are amphibians with long, limbless bodies that resemble worms or snakes more than frogs or salamanders. Their name means “blind ones,” a reference to their tiny, skin-covered (or in some cases, non-existent) eyes - which probably don’t get much use, as they spend most their lives burrowing underground. Caecilians are unusual for amphibians in that 75% of them give birth to live young, oftentimes, fully formed. There are also a few species where the mother actually grows a layer of nutritious, fatty skin that is eaten off by her own young, which is analogous to breastfeeding in mammals.
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
