Red-Bellied Newt

Red-Bellied newts are natives to northern California coastal woodlands. Currently they are classified as least concern on the extinction list. 

Fully grown they measure 5.5 inches to 7.5 inches from head to tail. They are brownish black on the top and bright red on their belly. The newts eat mosquito larvae, blood worms, and other creatures of the same size or smaller. During the breeding season the males do not eat.

From January to March the males start looking for a mate. The females lay their eggs in fast flowing streams or rocky rivers. They lay their eggs in about 12 clusters with 6-16 eggs in each. The baby newts don’t leave the water until they are 5 years old. It takes them 4 months to get to adulthood, which usually is in August.

The reason they have brownish black skin is to conceal themselves from their predators. If that doesn’t work they show their red belly to there enemy. That is a warning, red-bellied newts have neurotics. They enough to kill 1 adult human or 7,500 mice.