One of the most common herpetology questions I hear is “Are newts and salamanders the same?” Newts belong to a family sub-group of salamanders called Pleurodelinae, and the red-spotted newt is one of the most recognizable herpetofauna of Maryland. Most people observe them as red, terrestrial juveniles that inhabit lush forest floors. These juveniles, called efts, start their life cycles as fully aquatic larvae and later transition into olive green-yellow aquatic adults that prefer still or slow-moving waters. The newts found in Maryland are the red-spotted subspecies (Notophtalmus viridescens viridescens) of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), though other subspecies have red spots as well. Of the 22 salamander species in Maryland, the red-spotted is our only newt species