Some Newt Photos - Taricha granulosa

[jrc101188]

cool pics, seen a story somewhere, that said a hicker had one of these end up in his coffee pot, needless to say his next cup was his last.

 

[LeahisAwesome]

Wow that thing is cute!
haha i want one!

 

[Dan F]

cool pics, seen a story somewhere, that said a hicker had one of these end up in his coffee pot, needless to say his next cup was his last.

I've heard that story. The hikers filled their coffee pot before dawn (in the dark) from a lake and managed to scoop up a newt. Two hikers drank the coffee and died, a third didn't drink any. This story is widely accepted as true, but I haven't been able to track down any hard information on it.

The only "confirmed" case of death by Taricha granulosa is a Coos Bay (Southern Oregon) man who ate one as a dare while drunk. He vomited up the newt shortly after swallowing it, but it was too late. He started to complain of numbness, by the time they got him to the hospital he had stopped breathing and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

 

[davo]

Wow pretty deadly-impressive. They look nice too. Can you keep em? lol

 

[coura]

Love them

 

[Louie]

i wuda used em for bait

Many amphibians are in trouble as they are the first to die with slightest change in enviroment .

Newts should never be used as bait.

 

[Louie]

I just thought I'd post a few pictures of the most common local caudate, Taricha granulosa, the Rough-skinned Newt.

These first three are all aquatic morphs.

Taricha granulosa is the world's most toxic caudate, the Willamette Valley subgroup being the most toxic of all.

Great newts. Its funny how in wild they look better than in captivity even when well fed well cared for .

 

[le patron]

are those first ones poisonous to the touch? I caught a bunch to see what they were in a pond when i was golfing

 

[CDickes1988]

Nifty lookin newt!

 

[Dan F]

Wow pretty deadly-impressive. They look nice too. Can you keep em? lol

As a kid I kept them short term feeding them earthworms, I don't see why you couldn't keep them long term. It's illegal here, in Oregon all caudates are illegal except for Axolotl. I've heard they are sometimes sold in California, misidentified as a similar (but less toxic) variety - I wish I could remember the name.

are those first ones poisonous to the touch? I caught a bunch to see what they were in a pond when i was golfing

If they were I would have died at a young age! As a kid I handled (and mishandled, unfortunately) many a newt. I tend to avoid touching the aquatic phase newts these days, they are very slimy and soft. The second photos are of the same species, but terrestrial phase.