Taricha includes four Pacific newt species: California, rough-skinned, red-bellied, and Sierra newts. These semiaquatic, nocturnal amphibians live in misty forests from Alaska to Southern California, staying cool and moist in underground refuges such as rodent burrows and granite cracks. Winter rains trigger emergence and migration to lakes and streams for breeding, with skipped years during hot, dry conditions or delayed wet seasons. After breeding, females return to forest hideaways while males remain briefly to cannibalize some eggs and larvae. They eat insects and worms but also consume other amphibian eggs when available. Their main threats include climate irregularities and roads that block access to breeding waters, prompting efforts like road tunnels. Their bumpy skin glands produce tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin.
"These semiaquatic, nocturnal amphibians live in misty forests from Alaska to Southern California, seeking underground spots like rodent burrows or cracks in granite where they can stay cool and moist."
"When the winter rains arrive, they emerge from their hidey-holes and migrate to lakes and streams to breed, skipping years when it's too hot and dry to travel or the wet season is late."
"Pacific newts are indiscriminate diners: They eat mostly bugs and worms but will happily devour other amphibian eggs - even other unfortunate amphibians, if they can get their jaws around them."
"The newt's bumpy skin glands produce tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin in pufferfish and blue-ringed octopuses, which Vance calls "more hardcore" than common alkaloid amphibian skins."
Read at High Country News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]