''Pleurodeles'' is a genus of three species, the ribbed newts: The Iberian ribbed newt is the most common of the species, and the most frequently used as a

model organism A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...

by scientists. However, its numbers in the wild are declining, and in 2006 it became a near threatened species. The other two species are in fact threatened, with ''P. nebulosus'' considered vulnerable to extinction and ''P. poireti'' classified as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. The numbers of all three species are declining in the wild. Livestock agriculture is an ongoing major cause of habitat loss and degradation, and of water pollution, for all three species.

References

Newts Amphibian genera Taxa named by Karl Michahelles {{Salamandridae-stub