Newt

A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. (That has to be a crossword puzzle word)  unlike members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semi-aquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however.
--Wikipedia

I know that this is a newt because there is a road through Tilden Regional Park which is closed to cars every year between November and April so the newts can cross the road between the hills and the creek. I think they are adorable. They have an endearing side to side gait which is not contralateral like most four legged animals. They move forward by bring both legs on one side of their bodies together and then the same thing on the other side, resulting in a sort of charming waddle. They are quite slow and virtually defenseless, save for a toxic coating on their skin which causes most creatures to avoid them. The trouble with that strategy is that every creature seems to need to try them once before they realize they are nasty....so they have quite a high mortality rate.

This one was making its way up a steep bank next to the fire road, and was having a rough go of it. His method  of locomotion didn't quite allow him to climb and he kept rolling over revealing his orange underside. I finally took pity on him and lifted him to the top of the bank....

On the way back to the car we talked to a man who filled us in on the fact that this particular hilltop between Spring Lake and Annadel State Park is water district land, hence the fact that nobody is enforcing a leash law, or even making one.  His little dog kept charging and growling at Spike  wanting to play, but Spike just doesn't seem to know how to do that. At any rate he was having none of her advances. He had far more important sniffing business to do. The only time we have to put him on a leash is  approaching the gate at the bottom of the fire road which is above his head where he can't see it. He has run full speed into it so we guide him around it now before he  brains himself again....