California newt

Poisonous skin and a belly as colorful as a poppy’s petals -meet the California newt

Connor Long

The California newt is a medium-sized, stocky salamander with rough, grainy skin. It is Santa Monica Mountains’ largest native salamander species. A strong neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, also released by pufferfish and harlequin frogs, is secreted from their skin. An adult California newt consumes sow bugs, earthworms, snails, and slugs for food.

It has also been observed that adult newts eat their own eggs and larvae. Because of habitat loss and alteration brought about by human activity and introduced predatory fish, crayfish, and bullfrogs that devour the larvae and eggs, California newt populations have experienced population decreases.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
United States
14,000
NT
2021
California

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No