Taricha rivularis

[Kurt]

Does anybody know if these newts are ever availible? I would love to have some.

 

[jbherpin]

They are heavily protected. The chances of you finding A: Someone who has them, and B: someone willing to share them, is very unlikely. They are considered threatened at a minimum in their range, and therefore not subject to collection and/or transport, etc. Believe me, I'd love to have just one, but the state of wild populations does not, and can not support the hobbiest interest/demand. I hope I could help.

-jbherpin-

 

[t_summ]

I live in Northern California and have been out looking for them a few times. I have only ever seen one up close (and that was a short glimpse) before it jumped in the creek and hid. They seem to be moving into more secluded areas as humans push into the natural habitat. It is a sad state of affairs.

 

[Jennewt]

I may be wrong about this, but I don't think T. rivularis appears on any CA list of threatened/endangered species, or even species of special concern. But you're very unlikely to ever see them offered. And I assume you weren't asking about collecting them yourself, as you are in MA.

 

[jbherpin]

I may be wrong about this, but I don't think T. rivularis appears on any CA list of threatened/endangered species, or even species of special concern. But you're very unlikely to ever see them offered. And I assume you weren't asking about collecting them yourself, as you are in MA.

I commonly use "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians" as a base of reference, and it describes them as "rare", which I interpreted as endangered/threatened in some way. Also our Caudata Culture site doesn't even have a single word for care, or anything for that matter. But you got me Jennewt, as said, it is not on any list.
I could swear I read that they were restricted in CA from collection, which would in turn make them unavailable to the general public. If a CA resident could clear it up, that would be cool.

-jbherpin-

 

[Kurt]

Thanks for everybody's responses. I did find this - "IUCN Red List Category: LC - Least concern" So who knows maybe someday I will get my chance to have some.
I definitely can't catch my own, at least not in MA, and the salamanders that are native to here are either illegal to keep or I am not all that interested in. I would love to be able to keep Ambystoma opacum, maculatum, and laterale, but they are illegal here. Seeing them all over the net for sale doesn't help.

 

[jbherpin]

People do find them available through some means...

http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57413

-jbherpin-

 

[Kurt]

Yeah, I saw that a little while ago. I was so jealous I wanted to cry like a little baby.

 

[jbherpin]

Me too, LOL!

-jbherpin-

 

[uwe]

Taricha rivularis are not endangered in their place of origin. On the contrary, they aquite abundant if you look at the right place and time.
Unfortunately most of the time only males are seen.

Meanwhile there are some few breedings successfully going on in Germany.

Maybe we can export some back to the US.

Best Regards

Uwe

 

[Kurt]

That would be awesome! Are you a breeder by any chance?

 

[uwe]

No, I don´t keep T.rivularis ate the moment, but I am the coordiantor for the Taricha Gender in Germany (Eurpe).

Uwe

 

[Kurt]

What does that mean?

 

[Azhael]

That means he is the coordinator of the register for the genus Taricha. Registers are kept of several species in order to know who keeps and breeds the species and how many animals they have. It sometimes also involves swaping animals to maintain genetic variety and other stuff.

 

[Kurt]

OK cool. I know the AZA does that, didn't know anyone else did that, but when you think about it makes sense that someone else would.

 

[nickdwaters]

A major problem is edge effect due to roadway mortality. Newts are migratory and over time their numbers will become thinned to the point of becoming locally extirpated unless a significant portion of upslope habitat surrounding breeding areas is protected.

For example, there are no ecologic barriers and abundant breeding habitat can readily be found in the foothills along the San Francisco peninsula. But, you will not find newts unless you have a significant open space on the order of perhaps 160 to 320 acres.

As the north-central valley / Santa Rosa area becomes increasingly populated and traffic continues to increase, the habitat that will be occupied by newts will diminish imperceptibly to the non-critical eye, even though the habitat looks "fine."

A recovery of sorts might be possible if more roadways were retrofit with passages to create corridors. Corridors are nothing new conceptually, but it has been an uphill battle to convince those with the purse strings of their benefits. Newts are one of the more easily observed species groups and could be used as a measure of progress.

 

[Kurt]

Unfortunately, the state of California is in finacial trouble at the moment so new road passages for newts for the forseeable future.