Range
Rough-skinned newts are large salamanders that can reach lengths of 8 inches. In Oregon, they extend from sea level to up to 6,250 feet in elevation in the Cascades.
Description
They have large heads with blunt noses. Their back is typically light to chocolate brown in color, while its underside is bright yellow to orange-red. The skin is usually leathery with a granular feel.
Diet and habitat
Newts inhabit woods and forests that contain lakes and ponds with aquatic plants, feeding on small invertebrates such as spiders, worms and various insects.
Predators and threats
Eggs, larvae and the skin of adults contain a powerful neurological poison, tetrodotoxin, which protects them from predators. Garter snakes are significant predators because they have evolved a biochemical defense against the toxin.
Reproduction
They breed in ponds, where the larvae and juveniles often hide in soft bottom sediments.