The purpose of this project is to record the number of Pacific Newts killed on Alma Bridge Rd. near Lexington Reservoir during the migration season 2018-2019 in an effort to get the Santa Clara County Roads Department to close the road or implement other mitigating measures to reduce the massive roadkill during newt migration season.

This project will be rolled up with other sub-projects to show a comprehensive picture of live vs dead newts observed in this area:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/pacific-newt-roadkill-lexington-reservoir

Roadkill has become a significant factor in the decline of amphibians, and traffic volume is an important parameter. As more people enjoy hiking, biking, and boating at Lexington Reservoir and as more people move into this area, traffic volume has increased considerably in recent years.

Project ID: 30723

References:

• Identifying Species of Pacific Newts (Genus Taricha): http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/salamandersid/newts.html
• Highway 17 Wildlife Crossing: https://www.openspace.org/our-work/projects/wildlife-crossing
• IUCN Red List Species Account: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Taricha&where-species=torosa&account=iucn
• https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/08/roadkill-animals-disposal-science-food/
• https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/truthseqr/13825-newt-migration-at-lexington-reservoir-roadkill-stats
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