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Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt). Summer habitat and aggregation.

January 1, 2006

Terrestrial behavior and habitat associations of post-metamorphic Taricha granulosa are poorly understood (Oliver and McCurdy 1974. Can. J. Zool. 52:541-545; Pimentel 1960. Amer. Midl. Nat. 63:470-496). Chandler (1918. Oregon Agric. Coll. Exper. Sta. Bull. 152:6) referenced Fall T granulosa aggregations in "cavities under stumps, logs, and stones," but does not present specific data. Pimentel (op. cit.) reported that T granulosa constructed burrows in a terrarium and 1-3 adults of both sexes shared burrows for up to three months. Here, I describe two summer aggregations of T granulosa from the Willow Creek Natural Area (WCNA) in the southern Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. The WCNA includes wetlands (primarily seasonal), prairies, riparian forests of willow (Salix spp.), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), and Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), and patches of upland forest of Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Taricha granulosa commonly breed in old stock ponds and beaver impoundments on the site.

Publication Year 2006
Title Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt). Summer habitat and aggregation.
Authors Christopher A. Pearl
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Herpetological Review
Index ID 70194226
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center