Taricha

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Taricha

The genus Taricha consists of three species and four subspecies of Western Newts (sometimes referred to as Pacific Newts). All newts are part of the family Salamandridae

Salamandridae

Salamandridae is a Family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. There are currently 74 species spread all over the northern hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa and North America....
. The three species within this genus are the California Newt

California Newt

The California newt is a newt. It is also referred to as the Oregon newt or orange bellied newt. They can grow to be in length, which is larger than most salamanders....
, the Rough-Skinned Newt

Rough-skinned Newt

The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison. They are available in some places as pets, sometimes with names "Oregon newt" or "orange-bellied newt." However the "Oregon newt" is more than likely a newt from California that looks similar....
(T.

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The genus Taricha consists of three species and four subspecies of Western Newts (sometimes referred to as Pacific Newts). All newts are part of the family Salamandridae
Salamandridae

Salamandridae is a Family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. There are currently 74 species spread all over the northern hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa and North America....
. The three species within this genus are the California Newt
California Newt

The California newt is a newt. It is also referred to as the Oregon newt or orange bellied newt. They can grow to be in length, which is larger than most salamanders....
, the Rough-Skinned Newt
Rough-skinned Newt

The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison. They are available in some places as pets, sometimes with names "Oregon newt" or "orange-bellied newt." However the "Oregon newt" is more than likely a newt from California that looks similar....
, and the Red Bellied Newt, all of which are found on the west coast of the USA.

Species
Genus Taricha (Western Newts / Pacific Newts) - 3 species
Rough-skinned Newt
Rough-skinned Newt

The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison. They are available in some places as pets, sometimes with names "Oregon newt" or "orange-bellied newt." However the "Oregon newt" is more than likely a newt from California that looks similar....
(Taricha granulosa)
Red-bellied Newt
Red-bellied Newt

The Red-bellied newt is a newt, native to coastal woodlands in northern California, which is terrestrial for most of its life....
(Taricha rivularis)
California Newt
California Newt

The California newt is a newt. It is also referred to as the Oregon newt or orange bellied newt. They can grow to be in length, which is larger than most salamanders....
(Taricha torosa)

Differentiating between species
The Rough-skinned Newt
Rough-skinned Newt

The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison. They are available in some places as pets, sometimes with names "Oregon newt" or "orange-bellied newt." However the "Oregon newt" is more than likely a newt from California that looks similar....
(T. granulosa) and the California Newt
California Newt

The California newt is a newt. It is also referred to as the Oregon newt or orange bellied newt. They can grow to be in length, which is larger than most salamanders....
(T. torosa) share several characteristics. Both are light brown to black on the upper body and orange to yellow on the underbelly. They have "pebbly" skin that is not slimy and they may grow to a length of 8 inches, which is large for a salamander
Salamander

Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by slender bodies, short noses, and long tails....
. However, there are a few characteristics to tell them apart. 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. However, this is difficult to ascertain on a living specimen.

The Red-bellied Newt
Red-bellied Newt

The Red-bellied newt is a newt, native to coastal woodlands in northern California, which is terrestrial for most of its life....
(T. rivularis) is brown on the upper body with a red underbelly, has grainy skin, and grows to between 5.5 and 7.5 inches. 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.

Behavior
Taricha spp. eat a diet largely consisting of invertebrates such as Blood worms
Midge

A midge is a very small, two-winged flying insect. "Midge" may also refer to:* Midge Hadley, a fictional character in the Barbie line of dolls by Mattel...
and mosquito larvae. Most predators associate bright colors with poison (called aposematism
Aposematism

Aposematism , perhaps most commonly known in the context of warning colouration, describes a family of antipredator adaptations where a warning signal is associated with the unprofitability of a prey item to potential predation....
) and therefore, if attacked, the newt will take up a defensive position, showing off the bright underbelly. If the predator is not deterred by this display the newt will probably be its last meal. Newts of this genus are primarily nocturnal and may be either fully aquatic
Aquatic animal

An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life.Natural environments and the animals that live in them can be categorized as aquatic or terrestrial ecoregion ....
or semi-aquatic. None are fully terrestrial
Terrestrial animal

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats ....
as they must enter the water to breed. Juvenile newts, which are known as "eft
EFT

EFT or eft may refer to:* Effective field theory, an approximate theory to describe physical phenomena* Electronic Funds Transfer, a computer-based financial transaction...
s", are primarily terrestrial until they reach sexual maturity
Sexual maturity

Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can sexual reproduction. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct....
.

Toxicity
All species within the genus Taricha possess the biotoxin tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin is a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote. Tetrodotoxin blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the pores of the voltage-gated, fast sodium channels in neuron cell membrane....
(TTX), one of the most potent toxins known to science. However, the degree of toxicity varies between species and between populations within a species. In general, the Rough-skinned Newt
Rough-skinned Newt

The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison. They are available in some places as pets, sometimes with names "Oregon newt" or "orange-bellied newt." However the "Oregon newt" is more than likely a newt from California that looks similar....
(T. granulosa) is the most toxic species. Rough-Skinned newts from populations in Northern Oregon are more toxic than those from California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
and Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
. Those on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Ocean coast of North America between 1791 and 1794....
, in British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, possess little or no TTX. Taricha can be lethal to humans if ingested and at least one human fatality occurred in Oregon from eating a Rough-skinned Newt. Eastern newt
Eastern Newt

The eastern newt is a common salamander of eastern North America. Eastern newts dwell in wet forests with small lakes or ponds. They may coexist in an aquatic environment with fish, because their skin secretes a poisonous substance when the newt is threatened or injured....
s of the genus Notophthalmus (=Diemictylus of earlier authors) also secrete TTX, but in lesser amounts. When handling Taricha the toxins should not be allowed to come in contact with unbroken skin or mucous membrane
Mucous membrane

The mucous membranes are linings of mostly germ layer origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organ ....
s. Proper hand washing after handling should prevent any problems with infection from Salmonella
Salmonella

Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteriaceae that causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and the foodborne illness salmonellosis....
(which newts are known to carry) or ingestion of TTX, however, some individuals are known to be allergic to skin contact with the toxin. Also, as amphibians' skin is very permeable, hand washing before handling will reduce the possibility of the newt absorbing bacteria or other contaminants from the handler..

These newts are, however, often kept as pets and with proper lighting, feeding and hygiene they will readily adapt to aquarium life.