Jenkinson Lake (salamander)

[gene goss]

Walking down the boat ramp i came across this pregnant salamander, it look like someone ran over her tail. A burnt orange wiggle tail, is a good color for me fishing for smallmouth in Jenknson Lake, and now i know why. With a nice sunny day, light winds, and a water temp. of 41 degrees, the fishing was great....but the catching was zipppp. The lady at the main gate said DFG dump 1000 lbs of trout at the first boat ramp, i went down to the first ramp to take a look, and didn't see a thing. I did all my fishing at the second boat ramp, and didn't see anything up there.

Burnt orange salamander http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w300/eugene047/slypark3-29-11salamander001.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w300/eugene047/slypark3-29-11salamander002.jpg
There were 4 or 5 70 ft. pine trees that got blown into the lake.
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w300/eugene047/slypark3-29-11salamander008.jpg
Lunch breakhttp://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w300/eugene047/slypark3-29-11salamander010.jpg

[loganmike]

Not because they eat them!!

That is a Taricha salamander, have the most potent neurotoxin known in their skin. Everything dies if they eat them, except garter snakes!

Me

[aaron]

Fun fact, while there have been lot's of deaths from the neurotoxin those guys carry (also carried by pufferfish, blue ringed octopus etc) there is only one known death from the newt itself after an individual in Oregon swallowed one whole supposedly ](*,)

[gene goss]

WOW....i put that salamander in my hat to carry it down to where my friends were waiting for me, there was some slim and a little blood on the inside of my hat....so i just smared it around, and put it back on. You don't ever want to wash out the karma of your fishing hat you just keep on wearing it untill it fall apart. I guess i'll stay with the crawdads for the burnt orange theory.

[Scott V]

A general rule is if an animal looks too small or fragile to defend itself against another creature and it is colorful, it is more than likely poisonous. At least that is what I have heard.

[aaron]

A general rule is if an animal looks too small or fragile to defend itself against another creature and it is colorful, it is more than likely poisonous. At least that is what I have heard.
Bill is pretty poisonous at times :lol:

[epzamora]

it's a newt (what makes you think it's a newt???? sorry, monty python fan). probably Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt. all newts are salamanders, not all salamanders are newts.... :-) it's their mating season right now and it's generally ok to touch them but don't injest their toxins, or rub your eyes, etc, etc. the other main variety is the coastal version of taricha.

eric
fresno, ca.
not an expert, just like hunting them with my daughter, strictly catch and release.