Sierra Newt – Powerful Water Drive & Deadly Skin

California and Sierra Newts are native to California.

In winter and spring, Sierra Newts in Nevada County respond to an over-powering urge – to return to the pond or stream where they were born.

Reproduction

Hormones cause this migratory breeding behavior, known as water drive. (The hormone, prolactin, is also responsible for human breast milk production.) The migration begins with travel and ends in a submerged ball-like embrace with a female (amplexus).

Predators & Toxins

On its mating journey and throughout its twenty-year life, the only form of defense that the newt possesses is its skin.  The skin contains tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin.

“This neurotoxin is strong enough to kill most vertebrates, including humans,” – Wikipedia.

When threatened, the newt arches its back, flashing its colorful underbelly, offering the predator a warning and a choice (unken reflex). [See Worlds Weirdest video below.]

Newts are one of the most toxic animals in the world. But the toxicity of the Sierra Newt is nothing to worry about when handling this interesting and delicate creature. It’s only dangerous if you eat it!

“Scientists have tested 30 potential predators of newts, from belted kingfishers to great blue herons to bullfrogs and fish, finding in every case that the newt killed them,” writes Lynda V. Mapes, Seattle Times staff reporter.

photo credit: Bill Bouton from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

Toxic Skin

If you enjoyed this post, check out Sierra Tree Frog with Chemical Sensitivities

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Resources:

Amphibian Population Decline

California Newt Identification

California Newt – Wikipedia

Declining Global Amphibian population – National Geographic – 1 hr program

eHow – Newt Life Cycle

Nevada County Resource Conservation District – Amphibians

PDF – California Newt Fact Sheet – Sacramento Zoo

PDF – Sierra Newt – Wildlife Habitat Relationships System – CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

Sierra Newt – Taricha Sierrae – California Academy of Sciences

Sierra Newt’s Epic Mating Tactics -Earth Touch News Network

The deceptively cute newt: ‘You don’t want to kiss them’ – The Seattle Times

 

Eye of Newt References

Book – Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder’s Fork and Lizard’s Leg, THE LORE AND MYTHOLOGY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES by Marty Crump

Is eye of newt a real thing?  – How Stuff Works

Sierran Tree Frog with Chemical Sensitivities

Even though it has ‘tree’ in its name, the Sierran Tree Frog is mostly found near the ground.

Habitat

Tree frogs live in bushes and grass. Their preference is for damp, moist areas.

Behavior

Large toe pads that allow it to walk on vertical surfaces. The toe pads are also useful for clinging to sticks and twigs.

To avoid being eaten, the Sierran Tree Frog is fast! It can jump long distances and swim quickly to hide.  It also remains perfectly still and changes color to stay camouflaged. Sierran Tree Frogs can change from green and gray to brown.

The Sierran Tree Frog is more often heard than it is seen. Males call to advertise availability and attract mates. Breeding and egg-laying occur from November through July. During this time, males establish a territory that they defend with encounter calls, butting, or wrestling with rivals.

Diet

Worms, small invertebrates, and flying insects are the frog’s dietary staples.

Tadpoles feed on algae, bacteria and organic debris. Their feeding activities help keep streams and waterways clear of slippery plant material.

Global Amphibian Issues

Scientists say that we are living in the Anthropocene epoch, a time when human activity is the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Unfortunately, the consequences of this are that many habitats and species will disappear.

Frogs and newts are indicator species because they have thin skin that easily absorbs pollutants. Since they live both in water and on land, they absorb toxins from both environments. Like the miners who used canaries to warn when toxic gas was present, amphibian health determines the quality of the environment.

There are a number of factors that affect amphibian populations. Not unique to Nevada County, these conditions are happening globally.

Factors Contributing to Amphibian Decline

  • Housing and Habitat Loss

“We’re running out of places where frogs are healthy,” Amphibian Study Volunteer

“It doesn’t matter how many frogs we save if there is no place to put them back in the wild,” Edgardo Griffith, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center

  • Chytridiomycosis (Batrachochytrim dendrobatidis) Skin Fungus – A Global Epidemic
  • Pesticide Runoff & Flushed Prescription Medications

California agriculture is the number one consumer of pesticides in the United States.

The state produces half of the US agricultural produce.

  • 99 percent of artichokes
  • 99 percent of walnuts
  • 97 percent of kiwis
  • 95 percent of garlic
  • 89 percent of cauliflower
  • 85% of the lettuce
  • 71 percent of spinach, and
  • 69 percent of carrots

Contaminated agricultural water runoff affects the entire ecosystem.

“Atrazine (an herbicide) is the most common contaminant in our drinking water. It causes male frogs to turn into females.” – Tyrone Hayes, UC Berkeley Biologist

  • Invasive Bullfrogs

“Bullfrogs pose several threats to the native amphibians of California, many of which are endangered. When bullfrogs—the largest frogs in North America—escape or are released into the wild, they have a tendency to eat other amphibians and any other wildlife that will fit in their mouths. Their size also allows them to outcompete native species for food. Even worse, a large portion of the bullfrogs imported into this country—62 percent according to one study—are infected with the deadly chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), a lethal skin disease which has already been blamed for extinctions of about 100 amphibian species around the globe.” – Should California Ban American Bullfrogs? Scientific American Blog

 How to Help

Speak up for Nevada County frogs, toads, and salamanders.

 

If you liked this post, check out Miniscule Mountain Beetle Turning Forests Red

click on image to download free coloring sheet

click image to purchase or view more Life on the Creek art

Resources:

Books

Discovering Sierra Reptiles and Amphibians, Basey, H. E.

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians, Behler, J. L., King

Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition, Stebbins, R. C.

Websites

AmphibianWeb – Overview of Chytridiomycosis

California Tree Frog identification

Chytrid in Nevada County – Sierra Streams Institute

El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center

Frogs Need Our Help – amphibianfoundation.org

Hazards of Atrazine herbicide – Clear Health Centers video

Indicator Species – ecology.com

Nevada County Resource Conservation District – Amphibians

Reproductive problems linked to atrazine – Tyrone Hayes, UC Berkeley Biologist

Wildherps.com– Sierran Tree Frog

Service Working to Combat Killer Chytrid in California Frog Populations – Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

State of Sierra Frogs (2008) PDF – Sierra Nevada Alliance

Wildherps.com– Sierran Tree Frog

What if there is no happy ending? – Scientific American, 2013

Worldwide Amphibian Declines 2017

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