Whats the big Difference

[Evan4963]

Whats the difference between a newt and a salamander?

 

[Kaysie]

All newts belong to the family Salamandridae.

Generally: newts are more aquatic than salamanders.

 

[Evan4963]

Thanks!

Ive been dying to know!

 

[Jan]

Whats the difference between a newt and a salamander?

http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/FAQgen.shtml

"Newts are a subgroup of salamanders. All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. The following are the things that distinguish newts from salamanders:

A salamander is called a "newt" if it belongs to one of the following genera: Cynops, Echinotriton, Euproctus, Neurergus, Notophthalmus, Pachytriton, Paramesotriton, Pleurodeles, Taricha, Triturus, or Tylototriton.

Newts generally spend more of their adult lives in the water than salamanders. However, there are exceptions (terrestrial newts and aquatic salamanders).

Newts generally have more distinctive differences between the sexes and a more complex aquatic courtship. Again, there are exceptions."

 

[grunsven]

These names are old and do make sense in their original setting. When you look at the Northern European species you have the Triturus species (including the new genera) and Salamandra species. These are clearly two different types of animals. The slender species in the water are called newts the heavy build animals on land are called salamanders.

If you go to other places this doesn't work anymore ofcourse.