''Neurergus kaiseri'', the Luristan newt, Kaiser's mountain newt, Kaiser's spotted newt or emperor spotted newt (not to be confused with ''
Tylototriton shanjing''), is a species of very colourful
salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
in the family
Salamandridae
Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin. Their skin is v ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the southern
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains ( ar, جبال زاغروس, translit=Jibal Zaghrus; fa, کوههای زاگرس, Kuh hā-ye Zāgros; ku, چیاکانی زاگرۆس, translit=Çiyakani Zagros; Turkish: ''Zagros Dağları''; Luri: ''Kuh hā-ye Zāgro ...
in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
where it is known from just four streams. Populations of this newt have been declining and the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has rated it as "
vulnerable". A
captive breeding
Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that ...
programme has been established in several zoos.
Distribution and habitat
The Luristan newt is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the southern
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains ( ar, جبال زاغروس, translit=Jibal Zaghrus; fa, کوههای زاگرس, Kuh hā-ye Zāgros; ku, چیاکانی زاگرۆس, translit=Çiyakani Zagros; Turkish: ''Zagros Dağları''; Luri: ''Kuh hā-ye Zāgro ...
in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
[ It is primarily found in ]highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
streams surrounded by arid scrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...
, but can also be found in ponds and pools. It is known only from four streams in a single catchment area and has a total inhabited area of . In a recent study it was found that the area of suitable habitat within their study area was . Water is absent from its habitat for a significant part of the year and it moves out into the surrounding woodland which is predominantly oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
and pistachio
The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.
''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...
, during which time this species is known to estivate.
Currently the Luristan newt is found in the Zagros Mountains in Iran, but in recent studies it has been concluded that small portions of southern Iran that include Kermanshah, Ilam, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, and Kohgiluye-Boyerahmad are habitats that these species will be distributing themselves in the future due do climate change affecting their current habitats.
Conservation
It is considered vulnerable due to its limited and fragmented range (inhabits an area of less than 10,000 km2), continuing habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
, and the illegal capture of salamanders for the wild animal trade. In 2008, the wild population was estimated at less than 1000 individuals. However, a new survey in 2014 estimates a population of over 9,000 adults, and range estimate that could provide habitat for more than 40,000 ''Neurergus kaiseri''.
International trade require a permit, as the Luristan newt is listed on CITES Appendix I
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
. It also has a captive breeding
Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that ...
program involving several European and North American zoos, such as Sedgwick County Zoo
The Sedgwick County Zoo is an AZA-accredited wildlife park and major attraction in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1971, with the help of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society, the zoo has quickly become recognized both nationally ...
. Iran is planning on starting its own breeding program.
Captive care
These animals are often sold as captive bred (CB) animals. They are hardy animals under the right conditions. Three adults can easily live in a twenty-gallon terrarium, and should be offered both large amounts of land and water, as these species rarely visit water until the breeding season, as they live in a dry area. If keeping them terrestrial, they should be offered a good, but fairly dry top-soil, or coconut fiber, many live plants, and many hiding places. The best temperature ranges are , but can withstand temperatures up to .
Feeding is simple, as these newts are very hardy animals in captivity, and love to eat. Good feeders include Earthworms/Canadian night-crawlers, live and thawed blackworms, live and thawed blood-worms, calcium dusted pinhead crickets, the occasional waxworm
Waxworms are the caterpillar larvae of wax moths, which belong to the family Pyralidae (snout moths). Two closely related species are commercially bred – the lesser wax moth (''Achroia grisella'') and the greater wax moth (''Galleria me ...
, and various other insects. Insects collected outside should be avoided as they might introduce pesticides or parasites.
References
External links
*
Luristan newt
ARKive. Accessed 2008-09-27.
Neurergus kaiseri.
Caudata Culture. Accessed 2008-09-27.
''Neurergus kaiseri'' Encyclopedia of Life Listing
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1190376
kaiseri
Endemic fauna of Iran
Amphibians of Iran
Taxa named by Karl Patterson Schmidt
Amphibians described in 1952
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot