species_spotlight's Favorites

This organism was identified out in Paynes Prairie/Sweetwater Wetlands. This organism was found on the ground, among hte brush near the edge of a stream. Temperature was about 74 degrees F, and it was overcast but still somewhat sunny.

Class: Amphibia -- scaleless tetrapod, moist permeable skin
Order: Urodela -- slender body, blunt snout, right-angle proejcting short limbs
Family: Salamandridae -- lack of rib or costal groves, rough-appearing skin, no nasiolabialgrooves
Genus: Notophthalmus -- distinctive bright red all-body coloring and brown/black dotting across torso

Narrowed down to Notophthalmus, likely N. viridescens (Peninsula Newt), which has this characteristic bright orange/red juvenile land-dwelling stage, as well as fine black dots all over body.