During a short walk at Point Reyes today (20 January 2024), I looked down to see this newt crossing a path covered in pine needles. My guess is Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), but let me know if you have a different opinion.
It was a fairly wet day today — a good day for amphibians!
3 comments:
Yes. The California newt has more translucent orange coloration that includes the lid above the eyes which tend to bulge more.
Hiking at Mt. Burdell yesterday, I encountered families of newts under one bay tree. There were many large adults and small (1.5") babies. They were everywhere. I guess they do not have to have a body of water to breed and lay eggs in?
Hi, Bill,
Cool that you saw some juvenile newts, too! Newts do lay their eggs in water, so I'm guessing the individuals you saw were still on their way to a body of water. Or it's also possible they were just out and feeding during the rain.
Some helpful info (and photos) here:
https://californiaherps.com/salamanders/pages/t.granulosa.html
:) Jackie
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