The Montseny brook newt ( ca, tritó del Montseny; ''Calotriton arnoldi'') is a species of

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 t ...

in the family Salamandridae. 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 else ...

to the Montseny Massif ( Catalan Pre-Coastal Range) in northeast Spain. Before it was formally described in 2005, it was mixed with the larger and more widely distributed Pyrenean brook salamander (''Calotriton asper'', formerly ''Euproctus asper'').

Description

Montseny brook newt males measure and females in snout–vent length. Tail is and the maximum body size is . Dorsum is dark, chocolate-coloured. Head is strongly flattened. Body is oval in cross-section and with some dorsoventral compression. When handled, Montseny brook newts release a whitish, noxious, sticky, and very odorous skin secretion. This is probably a defence mechanism against predators.

Habitat and conservation

Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are oligotrophic, cold (under 15 °C) fast running

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

s; it seems to be a strictly aquatic species. Its population is supposed to be less than 1,500 individuals with an estimated rate of decline of 15% during the last 10 years. The drying out of mountain streams, human alteration of its original habitat and the global warming are threats to this species. Because of this, 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 nat ...

(IUCN) lists it as " critically endangered".

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2670899 Newts Endemic amphibians of the Iberian Peninsula Endemic fauna of Spain Critically endangered animals Critically endangered biota of Europe Taxa named by Salvador Carranza Amphibians described in 2005