Newt
During the subsequent few months, the larvae undergo metamorphosis, during which they develop legs, and the gills are absorbed and replaced by air-breathing lungs. Some species, such as the North American newts, also become more brightly coloured during this phase. Once fully metamorphosised, they leave the water and live a terrestrial life, when they are known as "efts". Only when the eft reaches adulthood will the North American species return to live in water, rarely venturing back onto the land. Conversely, most European species live their adult lives on land and only visit water to breed.
Newt
Newts are also known as "Tritones" (viz., named for the mythological Triton) in historical literature, and "triton" remains in use as common name in some Romance languages, in Greek, in Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian. The systematic name "Tritones" was introduced alongside Pleurodelinae by Tschudi in 1838, based on the type genus named "Triton" by Laurenti in 1768. Laurenti's "Triton" was renamed to "Triturus" ("Triton-tail") by Rafinesque in 1815. Tschudi's Pleurodelinae is based on the type genus "Pleurodeles" (ribbed newt) named by Michahelles in 1830 (the name meaning "having prominent ribs", formed from πλευρά "ribs" and δῆλος "conspicuous").