The name derives from Greek νῶτον (nōton), meaning "back", and Greek ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmos), meaning "eye".

Notophthalmus species are East American newts similar in shape to the European newts (cf.

As a distinct characteristic of their own, both sexes have three to four large pores that lie in a row on the temple.

The skin is smooth and soft in the water form and the tail is strongly flattened laterally.

Especially during the mating season, there is a clear sexual dimorphism: the males have very strong rut callosities consisting of 10 to 12 horn platelets on the inside of the hind legs, a strongly thickened tail as well as horny toe tips and a spherically arched cloaca.