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Northern California Herping highlight reel fall/winter '14/15

otolith

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Here are some highlights of caudates I've found during the fall/winter rainy season. Pretty much all of the local species are here aside from T. torosa, T. granulosa and A. californiense. All of these animals were found within an hour of my home while hunting mushrooms (my other main rainy season hobby). There are quite a few things I wish I took pictures of. Like a flooded field full of T. torosa eggs or a nearly 14" Dicamptodon my girlfriend found while picking black trumpets. Alas, you will have to imagine those yourself. Here is some eye candy.
 

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jbaker8484

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Very cool. I'm from Santa Rosa as well. A long time ago as a teen I volunteered with bouverie preserve. In the spring we did newt counts. We saw something like 150 newts on a 4 mile trail.
I've also seen a few newts in Annadel. Above spring creek in the redwoods (off trail) I found some type of large newt/salamander that was much longer that my hand. When I tried to pick it up, it easily forced it's way out of my hands - very strong.
 

otolith

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The second picture is Aneides flavipunctatus.

Nice to see another member from Santa Rosa! Annadel is full of Taricha right now, the marsh is basically 40 acres of Rana aurora draytonii and T. Torosa eggs.
 

AdvythAF

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I've also seen a few newts in Annadel. Above spring creek in the redwoods (off trail) I found some type of large newt/salamander that was much longer that my hand. When I tried to pick it up, it easily forced it's way out of my hands - very strong.

I think that one that you found is Dicamptodon ensatus. I found some and they are really strong! It took my two minutes to grab it and restrain it.
 

matamander

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Love the first one, is it a torosa? The Aneides in the second one definitely made me do a triple take; it almost looks exactly like the slimies we have here in the Eastern 1/2 of the US.
 

otolith

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The photo is a male T. rivularis. The Aneides out here do look a lot like some of the east coast plethodontids.
 
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