In the puddles

 

A few days ago we were walking in the woods in New Hampshire when Eric noticed some movement in pools of water on the trail. 

We couldn't see what it was at first, but then our eyes adjusted to the dim light and we spotted these wonderful Red-spotted Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens).  

Their scientific name means "greenish with eyespots" — and you can see why, with the greenish-brown background color and the bright-orange-ringed-with-black eyespots on the body:

 

Red-spotted Newts have an interesting life history — they're aquatic as adults.  Note the flattened tail (for swimming) in the photos above.  However, the juvenile stage (called an "eft") is terrestrial, spending 1-3 or more years on land before returning to the water.  

Efts are more reddish in color, have rougher skin, and more rounded tails.  Interestingly, we found one newt that might have been a juvenile transforming into an adult.  Note the reddish-orange color, the rougher skin texture, and a tail that appears to be undergoing metamorphosis into a more fin-like shape:

 

It was fun to visit with these wonderful salamanders!