Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The California newt has warty, slate-gray skin on its back and bright orange-yellow skin underneath. It is very similar in appearance to the rough-skinned newt and they are often indistinguishable without dissection, but in general, the California newt has orange skin around the bottom of its eye while the Rough-skinned has gray skin at the bottom of its eye.
An acrid smell radiates from the newt, which acts as a warning for animals to stay away. [6] Toxicity is generally experienced only if the newt is ingested, although some individuals have been reported to experience skin irritation after dermal contact, particularly if the eyes are touched after handling the animal without washing hands.
However, toxicity varies between species and between populations within a species. [3] [7] In general, the rough-skinned newt is the most toxic species. Their populations in northern Oregon are more toxic than those from California and Washington. Those on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, possess little or no tetrodotoxin. [8]
The Pacific newts (Taricha), including the California newt, are known for their toxicity. Many newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defence mechanism against predators. Taricha newts of western North America are particularly toxic.
U.S. Army Public Health Center Toxicology Lab technician assessing samples. Toxicology testing, also known as safety assessment, or toxicity testing, is the process of determining the degree to which a substance of interest negatively impacts the normal biological functions of an organism, given a certain exposure duration, route of exposure, and substance concentration.
The California red-legged frog is an important food source for the endangered San Francisco garter snake in San Mateo County. The California newt is often found with this species due to sharing habitat requirements and the newts eating their eggs. [12] The California red-legged frog primarily eats earthworms, beetles, flies, and other winged ...
The Coast Range newt (Taricha torosa torosa) is a subspecies of the California newt (Taricha torosa). It is endemic to California , from Mendocino County south to San Diego County and poisonous if eaten.
Main page; Contents; Current events; Random article; About Wikipedia; Contact us; Pages for logged out editors learn more