Spring 2017 Virginia Mt Rogers/AT trip, Eft hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT). An eft is the second of three life stages of the Eastern Newt (tadpole, eft, newt). The first and third life stages, eft and newt, are aquatic while an eft is terrestrial. The eft life stage of the newt can last two to three years and allows extensive movement to expand the specie range. The bright skin color, including bright red spots, warns predators of a toxin in the eft skin. The Virginia Highlands/Mt Rogers salamander specie diversity is among the greatest in the world.
