Rough-skinned Newt
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Rough-skinned Newts (Taricha granulosa granulosa) are also called orange-bellied newts because of the color of their belly.
The top color ranges from a light to dark olive color.
Forest floors are their preferred habitat and they are keen swimmers. You can often see them swimming and diving around shallow ponds and puddles in their immediate territory.
There is a pet trade in these newts, although that is not actually a good idea. In a December 2004 study, the National Institute of Health noted, "Rough-skin newts (Taricha granulosa) released tetrodotoxin (TTX) in their skin secretions in response to mild electric stimulation."
They are potentially poisonous to anyone who touches them. The newt in the picture took a defensive pose when I came across him on a forest path. They have little fear of walking on paths because of their toxicity.
© 2003 Patricia A. Michaels