Head to head
Fire Salamander vs Great Crested Newt
The relationship between salamanders and newts confuses almost everyone, and the short version is that a newt is a type of salamander, one particular branch of the group that spends more of its life in water. Most of the differences flow from that.
| Fire Salamander | Great Crested Newt | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | The broad group; all tailed amphibians | A sub-group within the salamander family Salamandridae |
| Adult life | Many are fully terrestrial, some fully aquatic | Often semi-aquatic; returns to water yearly to breed |
| Skin | Often smooth, moist, and shiny | Often rougher and drier-looking on land |
| Breeding males | No special ornament in most species | Many grow a wavy crest and bright colours in the water |
| Tail | Rounded, for walking and swimming | A paddle-like fin develops in the breeding season |
| Example here | Fire salamander: a land animal that drops larvae into streams | Great crested newt: spring in ponds, summer on land |
| Toxins | Fire salamander secretes samandarin from skin glands | Many newts carry tetrodotoxin; the crested newt secretes an irritant |
| Land juvenile stage | Metamorphoses and moves onto land | Some species have a terrestrial "eft" stage before returning to water |
| Where the group lives | Worldwide in the north, richest in North America | Europe, Asia, North Africa, North America |
Salamander vs Newt: common questions
Is a newt a salamander?
Yes. All newts are salamanders; they sit inside the salamander family Salamandridae. The reverse is not true: most salamanders, including lungless salamanders, mole salamanders, and giant salamanders, are not newts. Newt is a label for a particular water-breeding subset.
What is the difference between a newt and a salamander?
Mainly how aquatic they are and how their skin looks. Newts return to water every breeding season and often have rougher, drier skin on land and a crested, colourful breeding male. Land salamanders such as the fire salamander have smooth, glossy skin and only visit water to release their young.
What is an eft?
It is the juvenile land stage of some newts. After the aquatic larva transforms, it leaves the water as a brightly coloured, rough-skinned eft that lives on land for one to several years before returning to the water as a breeding adult. The red eft of the eastern newt is the best-known example.