Sword-tail Newt

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Sword-tailed Newt
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Caudata
Family: Salamandridae
Genus: Cynops
Species: C. ensicauda
Binomial name
Cynops ensicauda
(Hallowell, 1860)

The Sword-tail newt (Cynops ensicauda) has recently been placed on Japan's Red List of Threatened Amphibians. This newt has a very small range and can only be found in some of the southernmost islands of Japan. Sometimes, Sword-tail newts are called Fire-bellied Newts, not to be confused with the common Chinese and Japanese species, because of their bright orange bellies which serve as a warning to predators that they are poisonous. They can be differtiated from these two species by their large size, broader head and (against Japanese Fire-Bellies) smoother skin. These newt ranges from brown black above, occasionally with an orange dorsal stripe. Some individuals may have light spotting or speckling on their back. They

Sword-tailed newts grow from 5 - 7 inches [1] and are considered to be the largest living members of their genus. Females are usually smaller than males[1] and have a proportionately longer tail.

[edit] Habitat and distribution

The sword-tailed newt is only found on the Ryukyu Archipelago, and island chain of the southern coast of Japan, as well as on many smaller surrounding islands. This newt makes it habitat in slow, cool, stagnant bodies of water, such as ditches, ponds, streams and rice patties. [1] There are two known subspecies of Sword-tailed newt, Cynops ensicauda ensicauda and Cynops ensicauda popei. Due to the subtropical climate of its native habitat, it is more tolerant of high temperatures than other Cynops. Habitat destruction is the main cause of the decrease in populations of these newts.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops ensicauda

[edit] External links

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