Taricha granulosa
- noun
- /tɑːˈriːkə ˌɡrænuˈloʊsə/
- Specialized
:
Taricha granulosa
- The Taricha granulosa secretes a powerful neurotoxin as a defense mechanism against predators.
Examples
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Researchers studied the distribution of Taricha granulosa along the West Coast of North America.
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Local guides warned hikers not to handle the Taricha granulosa due to its poisonous skin.
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The Taricha granulosa is commonly found in wetland areas.
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Many Taricha granulosa can be seen during the rainy season.
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Local guides warned hikers not to handle the Taricha granulosa due to its poisonous skin.
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The Taricha granulosa secretes a powerful neurotoxin as a defense mechanism against predators.
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Researchers studied the distribution of Taricha granulosa along the West Coast of North America.
Synonyms
∞
4.9
A small brightly coloured animal with soft skin that lives in water and on land
1
8.8
A small salamander with rough skin that lives near streams on the Pacific coast
A rough-skinned newt that lives in western North America and has poison in its skin
Surface Forms
Morphology
Taricha + granulosa
The genus name 'Taricha' signals a group of newts, so a learner who knows that constituent could infer that Taricha granulosa is a kind of newt. However, 'granulosa' is a Latin species epithet (not a common English word) and the binomial naming convention and the specific ecological/toxic details are not derivable from the parts, so the expression is only partly transparent.
Etymology
Taricha granulosa may come from an old word sailors used for salt‑preserved fish, and the second part granulosa means 'grainy' or 'full of small bumps'. Together the name gives a simple picture of a rough, bumpy newt found on the coast, which fits why this species is known for its rough skin and strong 'poison'.