Mighty, moist, and mysterious: Meet Michigan’s salamanders
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EmailLearn what the “eft” is up with the eastern newt.
Michigan boasts a rich diversity of amphibians, including a dozen salamander species. The word salamander originated from the Greek word salamandra, meaning “fire lizard.” Unlike lizards, however, salamanders lack scales and claws, and their smooth, permeable skin requires consistently moist conditions.
Most salamanders found in Michigan are less than six inches long. Their short limbs and elongated bodies cause their bellies to brush the ground as they move. These moisture-loving animals are often found in shaded, humid environments such as forest floors and near or in wetlands and often remain unseen by the casual observer.
Preferring to stay hidden, they typically take refuge beneath decaying logs, damp leaf litter, rocks, and other natural cover. During late winter and early spring, some species move to temporary wetlands — known as vernal pools — where they engage in intricate mating displays and lay their eggs. The resulting larvae hatch with external gills and gradually develop into land-dwelling adults over the course of several months.
Salamanders play a vital role in food webs in both their larvae and adult life stages, eating a variety of small insects, slugs, worms and mosquito larvae, while also serving as prey for birds, snakes, fish, and small mammals.
Species spotlight: Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
Amphibians are well-known for their two-phase lifecycle; usually starting in water as larvae and then metamorphosing to adults living primarily on land. The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), a common species found throughout Michigan, takes this process a step further and usually has a three-stage lifecycle starting in the water, moving to land, and finally returning to the water in most cases as an adult.
Adult male newts have an elaborate courtship display preforming an underwater dance of tail waving to entice a female. This typically occurs in ponds, marshes, or shallow vegetated lakes. The female will lay around 300 fertilized eggs on aquatic plants, fallen leaves, or other debris in late spring. Tiny larvae with external gills hatch about a month later.
By late summer, the larvae metamorph, developing lungs and leaving the pond as a land-dwelling “eft” stage. During their eft stage, eastern newts have rougher, drier skin and display a bright red-orange coloration that serves as a warning sign to predators — their skin secretes toxins making them a distasteful and potentially harmful snack.
But they aren’t adults just yet! After several years living on the forest floor under leaf litter and logs, the efts return to the water through a second metamorphosis, growing a rudder-like tail and changing to an olive-green color, finally becoming adult newts. As adults they are 2-5 inches in size.
If the adult newt’s pond ever dries up, however, they can change their body again to return to being land-living efts. Or in some areas the larvae can even skip the eft stage altogether, and researchers aren’t sure why. On average, newts live around 8-10 years in the wild.
Threats to amphibians
Most amphibian species breathe through their skin, making them highly sensitive to pollution. As such, they are considered bioindicators, often acting as a "canary in a coal mine" for environmental problems. Their presence can reveal much about the health of an ecosystem.
Another major threat for most amphibians is habitat loss, usually through development of land for residential, commercial, or agricultural use. Disease is also a concern. In 2013 scientists discovered a species of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, known as Bsal) in Europe that can be deadly for salamanders. Although Bsal has not yet been found in North America, it poses a serious risk because this region has the world’s greatest diversity of salamanders. Groups like the North American Bsal Task Force work on preventing its introduction through the pet trade and monitoring natural areas for sick or dying amphibians.
Tips for protecting Michigan’s unique wildlife
- If you are lucky enough to spot a salamander, handle them with care. Make sure your hands are clean and free of lotions, soaps, bug spray, or other chemicals before handling them. Their skin is extremely sensitive and can absorb substances easily.
- Preserve habitat and support efforts to protect forests, wetlands, and vernal pools — critical breeding and sheltering areas for salamanders. Avoid disturbing downed logs, rocks, and leaf litter where salamanders may be hiding, and encourage responsible land use and conservation in your community.
- Reduce pollutants that may enter natural waterways by minimizing the use of fertilizers and pesticides and properly disposing of household chemicals.
- Releasing pet salamanders or any pet into the wild can introduce non-native diseases or invasive species. Even healthy-looking pets can potentially carry diseases that our native wildlife have no resistance against. If you find yourself with an unwanted pet, connect with a local rescue or pet store. The Michigan State University Extension Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes (RIPPLE) program can also serve as a resource.
- Become a citizen scientist. By reporting salamander sightings to the Michigan Herp Atlas, you help researchers track species across the state and monitor population health. Observations can help contribute to conservation efforts.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2026 issue of the Michigan Riparian magazine, a publication produced by the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association.
