During the afternoon we cruised around Squirrel Harbor on the southside of Cortes Island in Desolation Sound. Following excursions in our Zodiac landing craft, we went ashore on an old trail leading inland. One of the most exciting finds by one of the guests was this small, brightly colored rough-skinned newt. These amphibians are found in the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. Their bright orange underside is hidden from potential predators; however they have the added protection of a toxic excretion from their skin. They feed on small insects and other invertebrates that they find in the leaf litter under the forest. Some of us walked on the trail discovering many other interesting and exciting things with the help of our naturalists.
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