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State Symbols
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Official state symbols represent the cultural heritage
and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States |
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New Hampshire Symbols
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New Hampshire State Amphibian
Spotted Newt
(Notophthalmus viridescens)
Adopted in 1985
The Red Spotted Newt, Notophthalmus v. viridescens, was made the state amphibian in 1985.
Description
Small salamanders that live in both aquatic and terrestrial ("eft") forms. The aquatic adult is olive green to greenish brown above, with a yellow, black spotted belly. The tail is flattened. The land-living eft is reddish brown to bright red or orange, with a rounded tail. The skin appears rough, but is soft to the touch. Two subspecies merge in Michigan: the Red-spotted Newt (N. v. viridescens) has two rows of black bordered red spots on the back. The
smaller Central Newt (N. v. louisianensis) may lack red spots, or may have red spots that lack black borders. Adult newts are 2.5 to 5.5 inches (6.4 to 14 cm) long.
Habitat/Habits
Found state-wide, newts prefer small, permanent ponds, but also live in vernal ponds, sloughs, marshes, bogs, swamps and lake shallows. Efts are usually found in nearby woods, under rotting logs, rocks, and other shelters. Adults are active all year under water, but can hibernate on land if the pond dries up. Insects, worms, crustaceans, mollusks, other small invertebrates, and tadpoles are eaten. Their toxic skin secretions cause many fish to avoid
eating them.
Breeding
Adults breed in late winter and early spring. Courtship is elaborate, with much nudging, twitching, and "tail fanning" by the male. Females attach up to 300 single eggs to underwater plants or debris in April. In late summer, the gill breathing larvae may transform directly into the aquatic "adult" stage or become "efts" that live on land for a year or two before returning to the water.
The spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, is hereby designated as the official state amphibian of New Hampshire.
The spotted newt was designated the state amphibian in 1985 after a two year effort by high school students. Newts are very common to the region. The Union Leader newspaper (April 25, 1985, p48) lists the newts as the "perfect symbol for ensuring ecology in New Hampshire as they exist predominantly in the rain and runoff sodden areas heavily affected by acid rain."
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 3:16
New Hampshire Legislature Archives
3:16 State Amphibian.
The spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, is hereby designated as the official state amphibian of New Hampshire.
Source. 1985, 56:1, eff. June 23, 1985
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State Symbols
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State symbols represent things that are special to a
particular state.
symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun
Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in
other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token
of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together,
compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century
1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or
convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
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