Notophthalmus

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.