What is the difference between newts and salamanders?
Taxonomically, there is none. The family Salamandridae, for instance, contains animals known as ‘golden-striped salamander,’ ‘fire salamander,’ ‘fire-belly newt,’ ‘california newt,’ ‘redspotted newt,’ and ‘corsican brook salamander,’ among others; there isn’t a distinct split. Some herpetologists maintain that the term ‘salamander’ refers to both salamanders and newts, and that newts are more terrestrial while salamanders tend to be aquatic. Neotenics are usually called salamanders (eg, the mudpuppy is considered a salamander). I’ve also been told that an animal with ridges or grooves along its sides (between the front and back legs; these are called costal grooves) is a salamander, and that one with rough or granular skin is a newt.
