Coastal Range newt
| Costal Range newt | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Salamandridae |
| Genus: | Taricha |
| Species: | T. torosa |
| Subspecies: | T. t. torosa |
| Trinomial name | |
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Taricha torosa torosa |
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The Coastal Range newt (Taricha torosa torosa) is a subspecies of the California newt (Taricha torosa). It is endemic to California, from Mendocino County south to San Diego County.
It is native to the California coast, California Coast Ranges, the western Transverse Ranges, and the northern Peninsular Ranges.
California coastal range newts can be found in coastal areas and coastal range mountains in oak forests, woodlands, or rolling grasslands. In the terrestrial phase they live in moist to dry habitats under woody or leafy debris, in rock crevices, and in animal burrows. In the aquatic phase they are found in ponds, reservoirs, lakes and slow-moving streams.
California coastal range newts have squat, stocky, and muscular bodies with legs that protrude straight out sideways from the body, and bend downward at the elbows. The short neck and head are approximately the same width and the nose narrows to a point. Large protuberant eyes are set at the side of the head.
They are 12.5–20 cm (4.9-7.8 in) long from the nose to the tip of the tail. Males are slightly larger.
Scientists believe these newts may live as long as 20 years or more.
Terrestrial except in breeding season when they become aquatic, California coast range newts are gregarious and aggressive. They make clicking and often yelping sounds when disturbed.
When threatened, a newt assumes a defensive posture known as the Unken Reflex in which it holds its head up and points its tail straight out to display its brightly-colored ventral side, while at the same time secreting toxin from its skin glands. This is probably a warning to would-be predators that the newt is toxic and dangerous to eat. The warning color display is called aposomatic coloration.
Their diet consists of small invertebrates such as worms, snails, slugs, insects and insect eggs, and amphibian larvae. They are known to be cannibalistic if other foods are in short supply. Newts capture prey by projecting out their tongue which has an adhesive texture.
The main native predator of the California coastal range newt is the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), some of which have apparently developed a genetic resistance or immunity to tetrodotoxin.
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Wikipedia