''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

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 Salamandridae is a Family (biology), 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 ski ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to the southern

Zagros Mountains The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. The mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of s ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

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) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has rated it as " vulnerable". A

captive breeding Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of keeping plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, Botanical garden, botanic gardens, and other Conservation biology, conservation facilitie ...

programme has been established in several zoos.

Distribution and habitat

The Luristan newt is

to the southern

. 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, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

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 o ...

, 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 hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

, 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 or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

, 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 acronym 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 inte ...

. It also has a

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.

In captivity

The Kaiser's mountain newt has been successfully bred in captivity, with

brumation Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be clo ...

and a controlled diet supporting adaptation. Captive-bred Luristan newts have survived spring and summer after reintroduction under controlled conditions.

References

External links

Luristan newt
ARKive.
Neurergus kaiseri.
Caudata Culture.
''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