Life stages
Eastern newts are at home in both coniferous and deciduous forests. They need a moist environment with either a temporary or permanent body of water, and thrive best in a muddy environment. During the eft stage, they may travel far from their original location. Red efts may often be seen in a forest after a rainstorm. Adults prefer a muddy aquatic habitat, but will move to land during a dry spell. Eastern newts have some amount of toxins in their skin, and have brightly colored skin as efts as a warning. Even then, only 2% of larvae make it to the eft stage. Some larvae have been found in the pitchers of the carnivorous plant Sarracenia purpurea.
Eastern newts eat a variety of foods such as insects, small mollusks and crustaceans, young amphibians and frog eggs.

Captive care
The Red-spotted Newt subspecies is the State Amphibian of New Hampshire.