🦎 What’s in a name? The emperor newt’s moniker comes from the Mandarin words "shan" (mountain) and "jing" (spirit or demon). This highly toxic amphibian lives only in the mountains along a handful of rivers in western China. 🏔️ During the breeding season, they live in water fields, like rice paddies, ponds or humid grasslands. FUN FACTS: https://s.si.edu/2TJI9A9. . . . #NatZooZen #BringTheZooToYou #ClosedButStillCaring | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

💦🦎Although eastern newts are aquatic as larvae and adults, juveniles (called red efts) live on land! Around 2 to 5 months of age, their lungs, legs and eyelids make them more suited to life on land. As they search for water, they make their homes in leaf litter along the way. 🍂 . . . #NatZooZen #BringTheZooToYou #ClosedButStillCaring | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

10K views · 126 reactions | 年 Although eastern newts are aquatic as...