This is the land phase of the red-spotted newt. They begin life in water, looking like tiny, wriggling commas in gelatinous eggs, then hatching into black, tadpole like wigglers with fluffy external gills. They absorb the gills, grow legs, and move onto land as these brilliantly colored salamanders. Depending on conditions, they may remain on land for one to several years before turning green and returning to water to start the cycle again.