where are all the larva at?

[bewilderbeast]

So I find countless large adult and young adult transformed Taricha torosa in my woodland wanderings, but I never find any larva. I see the adults ambling through the woods on rainy days and swimming in the creeks in large groups but I never see the larva? Should I be looking for more permanent bodies of water like a pond? or do they breed in streams too?

It's the exact opposite problem that I have with Dicamptodon. I see the larva all over but never the adults...

 

[Azhael]

I think i recall seeing pictures of mating Taricha in slow streams. Maybe you are looking in the wrong water masses or maybe it´s been a very bad year for the local Taricha.

 

[bewilderbeast]

No... Interestingly, I've seen more this year than any previous year...

the streams I've found them in are slow moving and very small and lack aquatic vegetation... I am just surprised that I haven't come across a single larva...

 

[Greatwtehunter]

You'll want to look for them in ponds, lakes, or slow moving streams. They are only larvae for about 3 months out of the year so the window to find them is relatively small. Try dip-netting leaf piles and see what you come up with.

 

[bewilderbeast]

see that's what I wasn't sure of... how long they stay as larva....

I've seen plenty of very small transformed adults that looked like they could have transformed recently...

I know of one local breeding pond for these guys and it is protected as it is on the grounds of a nearby botanic garden... which is great for the newts but means I won't be dip netting anything there.
​

 

[Sean Brady]

Eggs of taricha torosa are usually laid on aquatic vegetation roots or rock crevices in slow-moving pools of water. They may also lay their eggs on underwater rocks or debris. They usually lay their eggs in streams with a depth of 1 to 2 meters. So larvae would likely be under small rocks or debris 2 meters down making them hard to find. Also, larvae blend in very well with the sandy bottom of the stream which they stay close to.

 

[supergrappler]

I found some today but they all had very tiny gills and were ready to morph. You can generally find more larvae between the end of Feb through the beginning of June. It really depends on how the rainy season is in Norcal at the time. It also depends which ponds or streams you visit.