Appearance
A stocky newt with rounded snout, it ranges from light brown to olive or brownish-black on top, with the underside, including the head, legs, and tail, a contrasting orange to yellow. The skin is granular, but males are smooth-skinned during breeding season. They measure 6 to 9 cm in snout-to-vent length, and 11 to 18 cm overall. They are similar to the California newt but differ in having smaller eyes, yellow irises, V-shaped tooth patterns, and uniformly dark eyelids. Males can be distinguished from females during breeding season by large swollen vent lobes and cornified toe pads.
Naming
Habitats of rough-skinned newts are found throughout the West Coast of the United States and British Columbia. Their range extends south to Santa Cruz, California, and north to Alaska. They are uncommon east of the Cascade Mountains, though occasionally are found as far as Montana. One isolated population lives in several ponds just north of Moscow, Idaho, and was most likely introduced.A number of subspecies have been defined based on local variants, but only two subspecies have wider recognition:
⤷ ''Taricha granulosa granulosa'' – rough-skinned newt
⤷ ''Taricha granulosa mazamae'' – Crater Lake newt
Distribution
Habitats of rough-skinned newts are found throughout the West Coast of the United States and British Columbia. Their range extends south to Santa Cruz, California, and north to Alaska. They are uncommon east of the Cascade Mountains, though occasionally are found as far as Montana. One isolated population lives in several ponds just north of Moscow, Idaho, and was most likely introduced.A number of subspecies have been defined based on local variants, but only two subspecies have wider recognition:
⤷ ''Taricha granulosa granulosa'' – rough-skinned newt
⤷ ''Taricha granulosa mazamae'' – Crater Lake newt
Defense
Many newts produce toxins from skin glands as a defense against predation, but the toxins of the genus ''Taricha'' are particularly potent. An acrid smell radiates from the newt, which acts as a warning for animals to stay away. Toxin isn't absorbed through the skin so humans should be able to handle the newts safely with bare hands. Stanford University. "Snakes Vault Past Toxic Newts in Evolutionary Arms Race." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 March 2008. . Toxicity is generally experienced only if the newt is ingested, although some individuals have been reported to experience skin irritation after dermal contact, particularly if the eyes are touched after handling the animal without washing hands. On a dare, a 29-year-old man in Oregon swallowed a 20-cm rough-skinned newt and died in July 1979.References:
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