The orange-backed newt is an amphibian of the family Salamandridae and the genus Acanthus. It lives in degraded secondary shrub forests near the top of the mountain, surrounded by tall grass and azaleas, and scattered with wetlands and still water ponds. The environment is humid and foggy most of the time. Adult newts hide in rocks or plant roots during the day. The same habitat also houses the harp frog, the broad marsh frog, the Chinese giant toad, the Chinese rain frog, and the white-jawed tree frog.
It is listed in the second level of the "List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China".
