stop4snakes's Identifications

These newts are amazing. I have explored a lot of the creek here and have only ever seen them at the waterfall under the bridge. They appear for a couple months every year and then disappear for the rest of the year. Today I saw the baby who was the smallest individual I've ever seen, and the other which I believe is the most pregnant individual I've ever seen haha 😂. I'm gonna go back in a few weeks to see if I can find her babies!

( I am aware that these are highly toxic, i did not actually kiss the newt 😞)

Historic rain and snow melt caused the Kern river to swell to very high levels, and this bunch of California Palms were submerged half up their trunks in the underwater mudbanks. Photo taken from passenger window along Highway 178.