Amphibians - California Newt
Taricha torosa
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The very first time I saw 'something' in the water. I had to come home and see the photo fullsize before I could tell it was a newt!
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The park rangers do a good job of protecting the newts in the pond at Rockville. During mating season (when the pond is full) they post notices about the breeding newts and ask dog owners to be especially careful to keep their pets out of the water. Regardless of the time of year, dogs must always be on leash and don't belong in any water at the park.
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Breeding males develop smooth skin that looks wrinkled and baggy underwater, plus a flattened tail to help them swim.
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Male and female newts in amplexus in the breeding pond. 'Amplexus' is a kind of embrace in which the male holds onto the female and externally fertilizes the eggs.
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The females lay their eggs on underwater vegetation. In the pond at Rockville, they also commonly lay eggs on a hose that is in the water.
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Here's the hose with eggs attached.
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The females also attach eggs to the underwater branches of sandbar willows at the pond.
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The eggs are embedded in a jello-like matrix. Since the eggs are laid just below the surface of the water, the eggs risk exposure as the water recedes.
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Interestingly, the newt enbryos develop almost fully while still in their invidivual cavities, including developing gills. Notice how the embryos on the top right have elongated.
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This lump of eggs had been out of the water for some amount of time. It had darkened and hardened.
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Please note that in order to photograph the newts, we worked in a team with proper equipment and careful handling. The newts were out of the water only briefly, and always stayed wet. Newts should never be handled casually or without careful planning.
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California Newts have a bright orange underbelly.
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Notice this newt's eye. Newts have a translucent nictitating membrane--which can moisten or protect the eye while still allowing the newt to see. The membrane can open or close just as an eyelid does.
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During mating season, a male newt's tail flattens out to aid swimming.
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The veins in the tail show up clearly in this photo.
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After the mating season is over, the newts leave the pond and travel back home to drier but still moist areas. The newts' skin quickly becomes drier and bumpier.
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This newt was very dried out and lethargic. I doubt that it survived longterm.
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Sadly, this newt did not survive the dry season.
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