Crocodile newts are a group of amphibians that belong to the genus Tylototriton, which includes nearly 40 species distributed across Asia.
They are named for their rough skin and prominent vertebral ridges, which resemble the scales of crocodiles.
These animals are mostly terrestrial, but they breed in ponds or streams and they feed on insects, worms, and other small animals.
Some species displaying bright orange, red, or yellow markings.
However, crocodile newts are also among the most threatened amphibians in the world, with many species facing habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, disease, and climate change.
They are particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation and fragmentation, as they require both forest and aquatic habitats for their survival and reproduction.
Crocodile newts are also sought after by collectors and traders for the pet trade, which can deplete wild populations and spread pathogens.
On top of that, they are also sensitive to environmental changes, such as temperature, precipitation, or water quality, which can affect their physiology and behavior.
The characteristics of the new species
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The new species of crocodile newt was discovered by a team of Vietnamese-German researchers who conducted field surveys in the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve in Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, as per Phys.org.
The researchers collected specimens and tissue samples from several individuals of the new species and compared them with other crocodile newt species using morphological and molecular methods.
They found that the new species is distinct from other crocodile newt species by several features, such as its size, coloration, and genetic makeup.
The new species is relatively small, with an average body length of about six centimeters (2.4 inches) for males and seven centimeters (2.8 inches) for females.
The new species is also strikingly colorful, with a black body and orange-red markings on the head, limbs, tail, and vertebral ridge, and also has a unique genetic signature that differs from other crocodile newt species by more than 5% in mitochondrial DNA sequences.
The researchers named the new species Tylototriton ngoclinhensis, after its type locality Ngoc Linh Mountain, where it was first found.
The name also honors the local people who live in harmony with nature and protect the biodiversity of the area. The researchers also proposed a common name for the new species: Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt.
The distribution and conservation status of the new species
The Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt is currently known only from the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, where it occurs at elevations from 1, 800 to 2, 300 m (5, 900 to 7, 500 ft) above sea level, as per Alpha Galileo.
This is the highest elevation record for any crocodile newt species in Vietnam, and also the southernmost distribution range for the genus.
The Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt is restricted to evergreen montane forest, where it inhabits moist leaf litter, rotten logs, or rock crevices near streams or ponds.
It is likely to be endemic to the Ngoc Linh Mountain Range, which is part of the Annamite Mountains that span across Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
The Annamite Mountains are recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, with high levels of endemism and richness of amphibians and other taxa.
However, the Annamite Mountains are also threatened by various human activities, such as logging, mining, agriculture, hydropower development, road construction, and poaching.
The Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt is therefore considered to be a threatened species, as it faces habitat loss and degradation due to deforestation and land conversion.
The new crocodile new species may also be at risk from overexploitation for the pet trade or traditional medicine, as it is an attractive and rare species.
It may also be vulnerable to disease or climate change, as it has a small and isolated population with limited genetic diversity and adaptive potential.
The researchers recommended that urgent conservation actions are needed to protect the Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt and its habitat.
They suggested that the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve should be expanded and enforced to cover the entire range of the new species and that the local communities should be involved and supported in the conservation efforts.
However, more surveys and studies should be conducted to assess the population size, distribution, ecology, and threats of the new species and that the trade and captive breeding of the new species should be regulated and monitored.
