Newt Migration Underway: Road Closed

BERKELEY, CA — South Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park is closed to all motor vehicle traffic through March 31, 2024, to protect migrating and breeding newts.

Visitors are allowed to use the road during the closure for walking, cycling, and dog-walking.

Newts are poisonous to pets, so keep you dog leashed and away from newts.

Cyclists are asked to ride slowly and avoid newts crossing the road.

According to the East Bay Regional Park District, the detour ensures a safe habitat for the tiny, slow-moving newts who have made Tilden Park their home.

Drive slowly when passing the Botanic Garden on Wildcat Canyon Road, as many newts cross in the area.

The Park District said that it is committed to making parklands accessible to visitors, but is also dedicated to protecting sensitive species. Although it's not officially a threatened species, the newt population has decreased over the past several decades primarily due to loss of habitat.

Fun Facts about Newts from the Park District

The California golden-bellied salamander (newt) is a native species five-to-six inches long. After spending the dry season in sheltered upland locations, the newts migrate in the winter for breeding. They respond to the moisture level in the air, coming out after the rains, and even after heavy fog.

Studies have shown some newts are able to return to their home stream from distances up to 2.5 miles, although shorter migrations are more common.

During the breeding season, male newts change more dramatically than females. Once in the water, males swell and become bulkier, their tails become flattened for swimming, and they develop nuptial pads on their feet for gripping females. Females may develop a slightly flattened tail.

When newly hatched, larval newts look similar to a frog tadpole but are striped and have external gills. As they grow, four legs slowly emerge. As summer progresses, they metamorphose into a terrestrial juvenile (a tiny version of the adult) - changing color, losing their gills, and leaving the water to find an upland retreat.

Some newts weather the dry months in rodent burrows, under rocks and logs, and anywhere moisture is trapped. Others may remain in their mating pools year-round if the pools stay filled with water.

Visit the Park District’s Amphibians webpage to learn more about newts, including where to find them, regeneration, conservation, and their super powers!

One final reminder — collecting of wildlife is not allowed in the parks.