| Notophthalmus meridionalis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Salamandridae |
| Genus: | Notophthalmus |
| Species: | N. meridionalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Notophthalmus meridionalis Cope, 1880 |
|
| Subspecies | |
|
N. m. kallerti (Wolterstorff, 1930) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Diemictylus meridionalis |
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Notophthalmus meridionalis, commonly known as the Black-spotted Newt or Texas Newt, is a species of aquatic newt native to northeastern Mexico and southern Texas in the United States.
Contents |
The Black-spotted Newt can be anywhere between to 2⅞-4¼" (7.1–11 cm) long, and is typically an olive green in color, with numerous black spots. The underside is often yellow in color, and which can sometimes extend up to the sides. They have smooth skin, and a paddle-shaped vertically flattened tail. They live in quiet stretches of stream that are submerged in vegetation; permanent and temporary ponds and ditches.
Black-spotted Newts prefer shallow water habitats, heavy with vegetation. They are carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of prey, including insects, aquatic invertebrates, leeches, and other amphibians. They have a toxic skin secretion which is used to deter predators. Breeding occurs year round. The young do not go through an eft stage and when drought strikes are forced on to land.
N. meridionalis can be found in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí in Mexico, barely extending into northeastern Hidalgo and Puebla. It is also found in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico.
The Black-spotted Newt is listed as a threatened species in the state of Texas.[2]