Black-spotted newt

Black-spotted newt
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)
N. m. meridionalis

Synonyms

Diemictylus meridionalis
Molge meridionalis
Triturus meridionalis
Triturus kallerti
Notophthalmus kallerti

The black-spotted newt or Texas newt, Notophthalmus meridionalis, is a species of aquatic newt native to northeastern Mexico and southern Texas in the United States.

Description

The black-spotted newt grow to 2.9-4.3 in (7.1–11 cm) long, and is typically an olive green in color, with numerous black spots. The underside is often yellow in color, 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 streams and permanent and temporary ponds and ditches.

Behavior

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. Their toxic skin secretions are 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.

Range

N. meridionalis can be found in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí in Mexico, barely extending into northeastern Hidalgo and Puebla. It is also found in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico.

Conservation

The black-spotted newt is listed as a threatened species in Texas.[2]

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Black-spotted newt
  1. ↑ Flores-Villela et al. (2004). Notophthalmus meridionalis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is endangered
  2. ↑ "Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis)". Wildlife Fact Sheets. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
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