description Rough-skinned Newt Overview
The rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) is a North American amphibian found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. It secretes tetrodotoxin from its skin as a defense mechanism, a potent neurotoxin that makes it deadly to most predators and dangerous if ingested by humans. This toxicity has led to an evolutionary arms race with common garter snakes, which have developed varying levels of resistance to the toxin.
help Rough-skinned Newt FAQ
Can touching a rough-skinned newt poison a person?
Its skin contains tetrodotoxin, but the greatest danger comes from swallowing the animal or transferring toxin into the mouth, eyes, or a wound. People should avoid handling Taricha granulosa and wash exposed skin rather than treating it as a pet.
Why does the rough-skinned newt expose its orange belly?
When threatened, it may curve its head and tail upward in a defensive posture called the unken reflex. The bright orange underside serves as warning coloration advertising its toxic skin.
How can garter snakes eat such a toxic newt?
Some populations of the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, have sodium-channel mutations that make them resistant to tetrodotoxin. The escalating newt toxicity and snake resistance are a well-known example of a coevolutionary arms race.
Where do rough-skinned newts live?
Their range follows western North America from Alaska and British Columbia through the Pacific Northwest into California. Adults often live in forests and migrate to ponds, lakes, or slow water to breed.
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