Japanese fire belly newt
Salamander eyes Salamandridae
A species of newt in the Salamandridae family endemic to Japan. Many are seen in the water, such as ponds, rice paddies and wetlands. Some can also be seen in the gutters of mountain forest roads. It’s black on the back, with irregular black spots on their red stomach. This is why it is sometimes called Aka-Hara (red stomach) imori. The patterns of the stomach surface is unique to each newt and will help to identify individual newts.