How to identify it
Rough, grainy skin, dark brown to light brown above and yellow to orange or reddish-orange below. [1][2]
Small eyes that do not extend beyond the outline of the head seen from above; yellow irises. [1][2]
Adults 12.7-21.6 cm total length (to about 9 cm snout-vent length). [1][2]
Breeding males turn temporarily aquatic with smooth, spongy, lighter skin, a swollen vent, a flattened tail crest and dark toe pads; breeding females keep rough skin with a cone-shaped vent. [1][2]
When threatened it arches its head back and curls the tail up to show the bright belly (unken reflex). [1][2]
Where it lives
Forested hills and mountains on land, under rotting logs, and in ponds, lakes, slow streams and sometimes ditches; occasionally open fields. [1][2]
How it behaves
Produces the potent skin toxin tetrodotoxin, in varying amounts geographically; common garter snakes are a known predator that tolerates it. [1][2]
Mostly terrestrial and found under rotting wood on forested slopes, but returns to still or slow water to breed; some become aquatic in dry summers and some high-elevation adults stay aquatic. [1][2]
Migrates to and from breeding sites, navigating by celestial cues and smell; activity timing varies by population (diurnal or nocturnal). [1][2]
Adults are opportunistic carnivores taking insects, snails and other amphibians; larvae eat small aquatic invertebrates. [1][2]
Limited legal take
Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.
Where legal take is listed
- California — amphibian take · 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations (updated July 10, 2026), 14 CCR 5.05/5.60
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Pacific coast from Santa Cruz County, California, north to Juneau, Alaska, including Vancouver Island and other coastal islands, from sea level to about 2,740 m. Isolated populations in Latah County, Idaho and Saunders County, Montana; the Idaho population is probably introduced.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALAnimal Diversity Web: Rough-skinned Newt
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology