Newt Day

Rough-skinned newt.

Every fall, the Tualatin Hills Nature Park celebrates the legendary amphibians that populate the park with Newt Day.  They traverse the park, bravely leaving no log unturned in the search for cool critters. This is a chance for visitors to see some of the park's more secretive inhabitants, as well as the unflappable rough skinned newts themselves.  The park itself is a gem in the heart of Beaverton, dense with wildlife. It's one of the few places in the Portland area where you can take a walk in the woods and get there on the Max.  The park was bursting with decadent mushrooms. We did not find a newt, but did find a Pacific chorus frog.  If you find a newt, it is best not to handle it.  Although they are calm animals that do not scare easily, when provoked they will secrete a toxin through their skin which is quite potent.  Despite the fact that many people I've met who grew up around here have told me that they played with newts when they were children, accidentally ingesting this toxin can cause alarming symptoms including paralysis.  In one documented case, an Oregon man swallowed one on a bet and did not survive.  It is thought that they have been increasing their toxicity over many generations in a vain effort to fend off hungry garter snakes, the only animal that has developed an immunity to their toxin.  This is probably why they seem to feel confident enough to strut around during the daytime, unlike most other salamanders.  They are easily identified by their bright orange bellies and of course their rough skin!

A salamander larva from the creek.

Jasper joined the throng betting on the slug races!

Garter snake on display.

Bullfrogs on display. 

A tiny Pacific chorus frog on display.

Photo by Jasper.

Photo by Jasper.

Photo by Jasper.

Photo by Jasper.

A monster slug.

Pacific chorus frog.

Pacific chorus frog.