Pacific Newts Flash Bright Bellies

Julie Vance with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife describes Pacific newts as semiaquatic amphibians living from Alaska to Southern California. These nocturnal creatures spend much of their time in cool, moist underground shelters. They emerge during winter rains to breed in lakes and streams, sometimes skipping years due to dry conditions.

Females return to forests after breeding, while males sometimes eat eggs and larvae. Pacific newts consume insects, worms, and occasionally other amphibians. Climate change and roads pose the biggest threats to their survival, prompting California to build tunnels for safe passage.

Citizen scientists with the California Newt Patrol assist newts crossing roads like Alma Bridge Road, though they note declining newt populations, not increased survival rates, explain the decrease in road mortality. Researchers use PIT tags—like those for pets—to track newts because they can regenerate lost limbs. The reasons for toxicity differences between male and female newts remain unknown.