A previously unknown species of crocodile salamander has been discovered in southern Vietnam. The animal with a striking bright orange head and orange stripes and dots on its back was tracked down last year by a Vietnamese-German research team in the Ngoc Linh nature reserve.
The protected area is considered a hotspot of amphibian diversity. A study on the spectacular animal has now been published in the journal Zoo Keys. The crocodile salamander was given the scientific name Tylototriton ngoclinhensis.
“This is an extraordinary discovery because it is one of the most colorful species in the genus Tylototriton,” study lead author Trung My Phung said in a statement. For the first time, a species of crocodile salamander has been observed from the central highlands of Vietnam. The discovery at an altitude of over 1800 meters also represents an altitude record for the entire genus.
Microendemic species are endangered
To save the newly discovered species from extinction, the team is already working on breeding measures to preserve it. Because the Ngoc Linh crocodile salamander belongs to the group of so-called micro-endemic species, which are most endangered due to their small range and presumably small population size.
“Unfortunately, in addition to its special zoo geographic location and rarity, its particularly colorful appearance should also make it extremely attractive to illegal collectors,” the experts warned. In their study, they recommend classifying the new species Tylototriton ngoclinhensis as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Another recently discovered microendemic species of crocodile salamander (Tylototriton vietnamensis) has already been successfully propagated, reports co-author Stefan Ziegler, aquarium curator and Vietnam project coordinator at Cologne Zoo. In total, more than 350 individuals have already been successfully bred.
Source: Krone
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