Notophthalmus meridionalis male

[nate]

Hi all,

Just got a new camera and while I've not exactly mastered the finer points of autofocus, I think this male is pretty spectacular and so I thought I'd share.

 

[joseph]

Beautiful photos of a beautiful animal Nate. I'm sure you will start getting excellent photos on this camera soon. The colors on this guy are impressive. Also see some plump females in the background who also look very nice

(Message edited by fishkeeper on June 09, 2005)

 

[jennifer]

Woo Hoo, Nate got a camera!!!

That is a nice newt.

 

[pamela]

Beautiful newt(s) for sure!

 

[mark]

A very nice animal indeed. It's such a shame these salamanders (surpassing Neurergus in beauty IMHO) are facing such a bleak fate in the wild.

 

[william]

wow, i never knew they were so colourful! thanks for sharing

 

[ralf]

Yes, definitely a mouthwatering animal probably causing an avalanche of international requests in Nate's email-account

.
Mark, Nate can you give us a little bit of background information on this species' ecology and the "bleak fate" it faces in the wild.

 

[nate]

Ralf, these newts live in semi-permanent ponds and ditches and the surrounding brushland from Southern Texas to Taumalipas, Mexico. They almost reach the tropics. Their habitat is quite dry and so they were probably never abundant to begin with. Most ponds have been converted for agricultural use; cattle, crops, etc. Also, in Texas, much habitat has been taken over for the oil industry.

I think their actual status in Mexico is unknown, despite being protected. In Texas, they are a state endangered species that is relatively stable though only occurring in 20-30 or so isolated populations. They breed readily in captivity.

Anything else specific you wanted, Ralf?

 

[ralf]

Do they also have a period of inactivity during dry season in the wild, like Pleurodeles in parts of their range?
Do you keep them aquatic year round?

 

[nate]

Yes, a great portion of the year may be spent underground due to dry weather. If they are actually inactive during that time or actively feeding underground is another question...

There was some debate for decades as to whether or not they have a true "eft" period like other Notophthalmus. In the early 90s, a study was funded by TX Parks and Wildlife and the animals were found to have a true eft stage where habitat permitted.

Here at the zoo, they are kept aquatic year-round. In my experiences with them, they will not leave the water for more than a few hours. Amazingly, they are kept off-exhibit in standard aquaria with no lids!! Strict population counts have been kept for many years, and not a single newt has ever climbed out!

I should also point out that this study in the early 90s found healthy populations (though widely scattered) and recommended that they should be listed as a "species of special concern" and not "endangered". Though they are very rare, U.S. Fish and Wildlife has not even listed them as threatened so the existing populations are not in as bad of shape as you might think. So rest assured, they're not on the brink of extinction, but will probably never be common enough in our lifetimes to be collected legally by the average newt enthusiast.

 

[jesper]

Hi Nate,
Nice to hear and see that you have a camera....finally

Nice animal you have got there.

So how's life in Texas?

 

[nate]

Life is hot here in TX. Drop me a line sometime.