[4][5] The black-spotted newt grows to 7.4–10.9 centimetres (2.9–4.3 in) long and is typically an olive green in color with numerous black spots.

These light markings tend to condense into larger spots that accumulate on the sides of the amphibian that eventually blend into a broken line extending from the base of the head to the end of the tail.

[8] Since black-spotted newts prefer shallow-water habitats, heavy with vegetation; during the dry season, they are believed to burrow underground or remain under debris.

[1] They are carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of prey, including insects, aquatic invertebrates, leeches, and other amphibians.

This is a behavior where the organism contorts its body in a spiral fashion to expose its brightly colored underside and the head is tucked underneath the tail.

[9] Notophthalmus meridionalis can be found in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí in Mexico, barely extending into northeastern Hidalgo and Puebla.

[10] The progression of the black-spotted newt from its common ancestor is hypothesized to have started around the late Miocene epoch.

[1] The major threat to this species is human development; land is commonly altered for agriculture conversion or infrastructure.

Their permeable skin absorbs toxins which affects their nervous and muscular systems and ultimately leads to death; making them highly sensitive to water pollution.

However, there are reports of this species found from the Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuges, and from the Audubon Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary in Texas.

This species is listed as threatened by Texas Parks, but the Mexican government recognizes the black-spotted newt as endangered.