Taricha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Western newts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Taricha torosa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Salamandridae |
| Subfamily: | Pleurodelinae |
| Genus: | Taricha Gray, 1950 |
| Species | |
|
Taricha granulosa | |
The genus Taricha consists of four species of highly toxic newts in the family Salamandridae.[1][2] Their common name is Pacific newts, sometimes also western newts[3] or roughskin newts. The four species within this genus are the California newt, the rough-skinned newt, the red-bellied newt, and the Sierra newt, all of which are found on the Pacific coastal region from southern Alaska to southern California, with one species possibly ranging into northern Baja California, Mexico.[1]
Genus Taricha contains the following species:[1][2]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Taricha granulosa (Skilton, 1849) | Rough-skinned newt | West Coast of the United States and British Columbia from south to Santa Cruz, California, and north to Alaska |
.jpg) | Taricha rivularis (Twitty, 1935) | Red-bellied newt | northern California |
.jpg) | Taricha sierrae (Twitty, 1942) | Sierra newt | Sierra Nevada |
_(4415749606).jpg) | Taricha torosa (Rathke, 1833) | California newt | coastal counties of California and in the southern Sierra Nevada |
Differentiating between species
The rough-skinned newt and the California newt are very similar in appearance, and it can be extremely difficult to differentiate between the species. Both are light-brown to black on the upper body and orange to yellow on the underbelly. They have granulated skin, and they may grow to a length of eight inches. However, rough-skinned newts have small eyes with dark lower eyelids, while California newts have large eyes and light lower eyelids. Also, rough-skinned newts' upper teeth form a V shape, while those of the California newt form a Y shape, but this is difficult to ascertain on a living specimen.[4]
The red-bellied newt is brown on the upper body with a red underbelly, has grainy skin, and grows to between 5.5 and 7.5 in (14 and 19 cm). It can be distinguished from other coastal newts, not only by its red belly, but also by the lack of yellow in its eyes. Breeding males develop smooth skin and a flattened tail.[4]
