- Red Efts are abundant on the edges of the Wallenpaupack Creek Trail
During our Hiking with Kids program on Thursday morning, we discovered a large population of red efts on the edges of the Wallenpaupack Creek Trail at PPL’s Lake Wallenpaupack Environmental Preserve. The kids screamed with excitement as they turned over leaves and found more than 30 efts crawling on the forest floor.
Red efts are the larval stage of Red-spotted Newts. The newly hatched salamander eggs have gills and small forelegs. Three months later, forelegs and hindlegs develop and the efts begin their one to three year terrestrial existence. The eft feeds on small insects and slugs while it awaits its transformation to the aquatic newt stage.
Information from Pennsylvania Amphibians and Reptiles by Larry Shaffer.
