Eyes of Newt

Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blindworm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing.
For charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double,double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and couldron bubble.

So saith the witches of Macbeth.

Newts were common where I grew up in the Appalachians. Not until it came time to learn the words of the famed "Scottish play" had I imagined they lived elsewhere.

Meet the red eft. It's the juvenile form of an eastern newt, which itself is a type of salamander. Unlike many of the salamander species, newts have no trouble moving between aquatic and simply damp habitats.

It's always damp in the Appalachians.

Given how they stand out in contrast to the mossy rocks, tree trunks, and footpaths, you can't help but notice these particular young newts.