Guide

Look closerAmphibians

Red-spotted newts in cold-weather ponds

March and October

Adult red-spotted (eastern) newts live in ponds, and some adults stay active into the cold months, so a shallow, clear pond can still show olive-green newts with red spots. Look for them near the bottom among water plants in October, and again in March once the ice is gone.

Why this time of year

Adult newts in permanent ponds can keep feeding in cold water, sometimes even under ice. While the pond is open and clear, a family can still spot them; once ice covers it they may still be active but are out of sight.

How to notice it

  1. Pick a bright, calm day and find a shallow, sunny pond edge with water plants. Stand back from the edge and let the surface settle for a minute or two.
  2. Look down through the water at the plants and mud near the bottom, not at the surface. You are looking for an olive-green body 3 to 5 inches long, with a row of red spots ringed in black along each side.
  3. Stay still and keep watching for a slow shape moving among the plants.
  4. If the pond has any ice on it, skip it and try again after it melts. Never step or walk onto ice to look.

Try this with kids: Can you find the red spots with black rings along its sides, and can you tell which way it is swimming?

Phrase to know: The “eastern newt” is a small salamander that lives in water as an adult.

Safety

  • Keep children back from the pond edge, hold hands of young children, and watch footing on wet or muddy banks.
  • Never walk or step onto pond ice, even at the edge. Ice that looks thick can be thin, and cold water is dangerous.
  • Look with eyes only. Newts have skin toxins, so if one is touched, do not touch mouth or eyes and wash hands afterward.
  • Do not catch or move newts, and do not take them home.

Sources

  • dec.ny.govNYSDEC: adults active 'from spring through fall and sometimes in the winter, feeding under ice'; adult color pattern; ponds, marshes, slow water, beaver ponds. Adult: 3-5 inches.
  • portal.ct.govCT DEEP: 'Adult newts can be active even before ice surfaces melt. Primarily, they are active February through October.' Prefers sunny, weed-filled, slow, shallow water; adult greenish with black-bordered reddish-orange spots.
  • maine.govMaine IFW: 'Adults overwinter in ponds and may be active year-round or may leave ponds to hibernate underground on land'; olive green with red spots outlined in black.

Checked against these sources on September 29, 2026.

In the guide for March, October

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