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Aquatic phase adult, Mendocino County |
Terrestrial phase adult,
Mendocino County |
Aquatic phase adult, Mendocino County |
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Aquatic phase adult, Mendocino County |
Terrestrial phase adult, Sonoma County
(note the dark eye, with no yellow) |
Aquatic phase adult, Mendocino County |
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Breeding adult male in aquatic phase, Mendocino County |
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| Aquatic male newts patrolling the shallow waters of a Mendocino County breeding creek before the females arrive. |
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Underside of breeding adult male showing dark color on elbows and across swollen vent, Mendocino County |
Underside of breeding adult male, Mendocino County |
Adults amplexing underwater |
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During the breeding season, adult males develop nuptial pads on the toes to improve their ability to hold onto females during amplexus. |
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| Habitat, creek during breeding season, late February, Mendocino County
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Habitat, Sonoma County
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Habitat, Mendocino County |
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Habitat, creek during breeding season, early March, Mendocino County
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Habitat, creek during breeding season, early March, Mendocino County |
Habitat, redwoods, Mendocino County |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 inches long (7 - 8.9 cm) from snout to vent, and 5 1/2 - 7 1/2 inches (14 - 19.5 cm) in total length. |
| Appearance |
A stocky, medium-sized, salamander with grainy skin, no costal grooves, and dark eyes. (Other Taricha species have yellow in the eye.) Breathes through lungs. Brownish black above, tomato red below. There is dark coloring on the undersides of the limbs and a dark band across the vent which is especially broad in males and often absent in females. Breeding males develop smooth skin, a flattened tail to aid with swimming, a swollen vent, and rough nuptial pads on the undersides of the feet to aid in holding onto females during amplexus.
Larvae are pond type, with numerous, fine black spots along the sides and back. The dorsal fin and balancers are not well-developed, compared to other Taricha species. |
| Behavior |
Adults are terrestrial, becoming aquatic when breeding. Nocturnally active, but can be found active in streams and on the surface in daylight during the breeding season. Often seen moving in large numbers to breeding sites during breeding season. Terrestrial animals spend the dry summer in moist habitats under woody debris, rocks, in animal burrows. When disturbed, a newt assumes a swaybacked defense pose, exposing bright ventral surface to warn potential predators when disturbed. Potent skin secretions repel most predators and poisonous neurotoxins widespread throughout the body can cause death in most vertebrates, including humans, if eaten in sufficient quantity.
Adults emerge after the fall rains. Juveniles apparently spend most of their time underground and are not active on the surface until near sexual maturity. Coexists with T. granulosa but unlike that species, T. rivularis breeds in flowing, not still, water. Sometimes hybridizes with T. granulosa. |
| Diet |
| Eats mostly invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeding migration begins as early as late January, with adult males entering the water as early as early February. Males arrive at the streams 1-3 weeks before females. Breeding takes place from late February to May, peaking in March. Breeding takes place in clean rocky streams and rocky rivers with moderate to fast flow. Adults will leave the water during heavy rains when the flow is high. Ponds are avoided. After amplexus, the male deposits a spermatophore and the female picks it up with her cloaca. The female lays eggs and attaches an egg mass usually only one egg layer thick on rocks overhanging the creek, or submerged rootlets. In one population, the larvae hatched in late April, and transformed in late August. |
| Range |
| Endemic to California. Occurs along the coast from near Bodega, Sonoma county, to near Honeydew, Humboldt county, and inland to Lower lake and Kelsey Creek, Lake County. |
| Habitat |
| A stream or river dweller. Found in coastal woodlands, especially in redwood forests, along the coast of northern California. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| None |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Salamandridae |
Newts |
| Genus |
Taricha |
Pacific Newts |
Species
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rivularis |
Red-bellied Newt |
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Original Description |
Twitty, 1935 - Copeia, p. 73
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Taricha: Greek - preserved mummy, possibly referring to the rough skinned appearance.
rivularis: Latin - of a brook or stream.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
None
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Related California Salamanders |
Taricha torosa torosa - Coast Range Newt
Taricha torosa sierrae - Sierra Newt
Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
AmphibiaWeb
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943.
Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998.
Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
This salamander is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
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| USDA Forest Service |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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