If you want to have a close personal encounter with wildlife, your best bet is to go looking for newts and salamanders in the rainy season. Peak under boards, logs, or other objects and look hard – the common slender salamander is often smaller than an earthworm. Newts can be found walking through grass during and after rainstorms. Newts and salamanders can be distinguished from lizards because they move slower, have four toes on their front feet, and have damp skin with no scales. Pick them up gently to examine and enjoy, but do not eat any of them, especially the highly toxic newts! UCSC is also home to several species of frogs.