Eastern Newt vs Fly Agaric

Notophthalmus viridescens compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eastern Newt	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Salamandridae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Notophthalmus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Notophthalmus viridescens	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Eastern Newt

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eastern Newt	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eastern Newt

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in United States.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States