Lily B. Mr. Nuttle Period: 7

Orange Underbelly : To warn predators of it’s poison. Rough Skin: The bumps on the skin are glands that release the poison. Eyes: On the side of the head since newts are prey. Tail: The males tail flattens during breeding season which makes it easier for it to swim. Toes: On the ends of male toes, pads develop during breeding season.

Rough-skinned newts possess tetrodotoxin throughout their body. When ingested, the toxin can cause paralysis or death. When the newt is disturbed, they release the toxin from glands as a milky-white substance. Since the newt is highly toxic, it allows it to be active and conspicuous during the day. It is one of the few terrestrial salamanders that can do that.

When threatened, the rough-skinned newt assumes a defensive pose, holding it’s tail curled up over it’s body, and it’s head arched back. This pose reveals it’s bright orange coloring. This is a warning to predators that the newt contains poison.

During breeding season, males develop pads on the ends of their toes so it’s easier to hold onto the females. Time of breeding varies with latitude and elevation. Newts have been reported breeding during every month except November.

The rough-skinned newt can live on water and land. They breed in ponds, but they come out on land to catch and eat small invertebrates such as, spiders, worms, and insects.

The female lays her eggs in aquatic vegetation to hide it from predators. The female only lays one egg. She lays it under water because, since they are amphibians, they need to keep the eggs hydrated so they stay alive.

The newt’s eyes are on the side of it’s head because the newt is prey, not the predator. Having eyes on the side of the head gives the newt a wider range of vision so it can see if predators are coming. The newt’s eyes also have a dark lower eyelid and a yellow patch on the eye.

Once a male and female are ready to breed, the males reach a suitable breeding spot first and transform into their aquatic phase. The male develops light colored smooth skin, which hides it from aquatic predators, and a larger more flat tail to help it swim.

The bumps on the skin are glands that release the poison when the newt is disturbed. The rough skin helps to identify the newt from the other types of newts.

The length of the larval period varies for every newt. Larvae may transform in late summer or early fall of the year in which they were hatched. Or, they may wait until conditions are better and transform the following summer at a larger size.

The newts activity is affected by cold temperatures, under freezing, in the water and on land. Adults emerge from the water after spawning during October-November to wander around, then in November-December they curl up in cavities under stumps, logs, and stones. They stay here for the cold part of winter. They emerge on warm days to eat. They do this to conserve their energy until the weather is warmer.

The rough-skinned newt is usually found on the west coast of the United States. They are also found in British Columbia. Since they live on land and in water, they are found in lakes, slow-moving streams, and humid forests.

In the Pacific Northwest, Timber companies use fertilizer with Urea in it. They use this fertilizer on trees in forests to help them grow. It could have negative effects on most amphibians when it touches their skin. But, the rough-skinned newt is less sensitive to this so it survives and can continue to live and eat in the forests.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough-skinned_newt amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Taricha&where-species=granulosa www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/html/4tagr.html