Description
The upper side of adults is usually dark brown to tan or yellowish brown. The belly is yellowish to orange. The skin is rough in the land-dwelling stage but becomes smooth in breeding males. The lower eyelids and the area below eyes is pale. The sides of the body lack prominent vertical grooves. When viewed from above, the eyes generally extend to or beyond the outline of the head. The roof of the mouth has a Y-shaped patch of teeth. Maximum size is about 3.5 inches (9 cm) from the tip of the snout to the rear end of the vent. Breeding males have smooth skin, a flattened tail, and a swollen vent, and the undersides of the feet have rough dark skin. Larvae have large gills and a dark stripe on each side of the back. Egg masses are rounded, have firm jelly, contain usually about 1-3 dozen egg, sand are up to about one inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Habitat
When not breeding, coast range newts occupy various upland habitats such as grassland, woodland, and forest(Storer 1925, Petranka 1998, Stebbins 2003, Kuchta 2005).. Breeding occurs in ponds, reservoirs, and streams. Eggs are attached to sticks, stones, or vegetation in flowing or nonflowing water; fast-moving streams and rivers are used more often in southern California mountains than elsewhere in the range.
Reproduction
Coast range newts migrate seasonally between upland habitats and aquatic breeding sites. Generally they begin moving to water with the first fall rains. Breeding occurs from December to May (peak February-April). Individual females lay 1 or 2 dozen eggs in spherical masses. Larvae hatch in about 4-8 weeks. Larvae transform in late summer or early fall or when the water dries up. Metamorphosed juveniles live several years on land before maturing and returning to water to breed.