Taricha torosa
Silhouette: Neil Kelley · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The California newt or orange-bellied newt (Taricha torosa), is a species of newt endemic to California, in the Western United States. Its adult length can range from 5 to 8 in (13 to 20 cm). Its skin produces the potent toxin tetrodotoxin.
Taricha torosa was divided into two subspecies until 2007, when it was determined that the Sierra and coastal populations represent distinct evolutionary lineages. The former subspecies Taricha torosa sierrae was elevated to full species level and it is now known as Taricha sierrae, the Sierra newt. Taricha torosa torosa has been retired and now all coastal populations are simply known as Taricha torosa, the California newt.
California newts reside in the coastal counties of California and in the southern and central Sierra Nevada and occupy a diverse array of habitats found near the small ponds and creeks where they breed, including woodlands and chaparral.
The California newt has warty, slate-gray skin on its back and bright orange-yellow skin underneath. It is very similar in appearance to the rough-skinned newt and they are often indistinguishable without dissection, but in general, the... Wikipedia →
Recording0:06
United States · 2026
© napabirder · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | ABQ BioPark Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | California Living Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Aquarium of the Pacific | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Aquarium of the Bay | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a California Newt sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 8 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a California Newt in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most California Newt sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate California Newt sightings, San Francisco has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Los Angeles (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the California Newt is recorded against all the amphibians logged in San Francisco (48 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
