Species: Taricha granulosa

Rough-skinned Newt

Species

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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Rough skin (except breeding males); upper side usually dark to light brown (with dark blotches in a few parts of the species range), under side usually yellow to reddish orange; usually dark pigment on lower eyelids and beneath eyes; small eyes (do not extend to outer margin of head when viewed from above; V-shaped patch of teeth in roof of mouth; up to 9 cm snout-vent length. Breeding male: smooth skin, bulbous vent, highly flattened tail, dark skin un undersides of feet. Breeding female: cone-shaped vent. Large larvae: large gills; tall tail fin extends to shoulder area; row of light spots on each side of back; belly sometimes pink or orange; up to 7.5 cm total length. Eggs: generally attached singly to objects in quiet water; egg/embryo moves freely in jelly capsule that is 3-4 mm in diameter.

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Amphibia

Order

Caudata

Family

Salamandridae

Genus

Taricha

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100302

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Roughskin Newt - triton rugueux

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Amphibians - Salamanders

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Amphibia - Caudata - Salamandridae - Taricha - . Genetic studies suggest that newts from Wrangell Island differ little from those in Washington State (MacDonald 2003).

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

A newt.

Migration

false - true - false - Migrations between uplands and breeding sites may traverse up to several hundred meters. Migrations often occur during or after seasonal rains. Males migrate earlier than females.

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

true

Food Comments

Larvae probably eat zooplankton and small aquatic invertebrates. Adults feed mostly on small terrestrial or aquatic invertebrates.

Reproduction Comments

Timing of migrations and breeding varies greatly, depending on location and conditions. In many lowland areas, newts migrate to breeding sites and deposit eggs in late fall, winter, or spring, and the resulting larvae metamorphose several moinths later in summer or fall. At higher elevations in the mountains, breeding may occur in summer or early fall, with metamorphosis about a year later. Eggs hatch in 20-26 days (Nussbaum et al. 1983) or 5-10 weeks (Behler and King 1979).

Ecology Comments

After breeding season, adults, as well as subadults and larvae, may form large aggregations. Skin secretion repels many predators.

Length

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

2008-01-15

Global Status Last Changed

2001-12-03

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - Range includes the Pacific coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to Santa Cruz County, California (Petranka 1998, Stebbins 2003). Records from the Rocky Mountains in Idaho and Montana, including populations in Latah County, Idaho, could represent introductions, though Monello and Wright (1997) recorded three small populations in Latah County, Idaho, in 1997. Elevational range extends from sea level to about 9,200 feet (Stebbins 2003).

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100302