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Thursday, March 1, 2018

The little adventurer

I was working in the dunes today, when a small movement caught my eye:


A small newt (Taricha sp.) was walking across the sand!

I kneeled down to get a closer look:



I tried to get a close-up of the eye, because I know the coloration of the eyelid can be helpful when trying to identify local newts:
 

I was thinking this might be a Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), but I'm not sure, and I don't have much experience identifying different species of Taricha.  So if you've looked at a lot of newts, and can identify which species this is, please let me know.  (And if you confirm that it's Taricha granulosa, I'll be able to say, "I knew't!")  

Here's the newt walking quickly into some nearby shrubs...continuing its after-rain adventure!


2 comments:

Michael Fawcett said...

I believe it is a Coast Range newt (Taricha t. torosa), because of the light color of the lower eyelid and because the eye appears to extend beyond the outline of the head when viewed from above.

Jackie Sones said...

Hi, Michael!

Great, thanks so much! I was wondering about both of those characters. When I looked at a lot of photos I online, I started to feel more and more uncertain. But it's pretty clear that the lower eyelid is pale.

Your expertise and feedback is much appreciated!

Jackie