Anderson's crocodile newt
{{Short description|Species of salamander}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Anderson's crocodile newt
| image = Echinotriton andersoni by OpenCage.jpg
| status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Echinotriton andersoni
| authority = (Boulenger, 1892)
| synonyms = Tylototriton andersoni Boulenger, 1892
}}
Anderson's crocodile newt, Anderson's newt, Ryukyu spiny newt, or Japanese warty newt (Echinotriton andersoni) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and, at least formerly, Mount Guanyin in northern Taiwan, where it is now believed to be extinct.{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Caudata/Salamandridae/Pleurodelinae/Echinotriton/Echinotriton-andersoni |title=Echinotriton andersoni (Boulenger, 1892) |author =Frost, Darrel R. |year=2014 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |accessdate=28 January 2015}}
Description
Echinotriton andersoni is a stout, flat salamander. Head is broad and triangular in shape. There are 12–15 conspicuous knob-like lateral glands. Colouration is uniformly dark brown or black, only the underside of the tail, cloacal region, and the soles of the feet are yellow-orange. The maximum size is at least {{convert|80|mm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length and {{convert|169|mm|abbr=on}} in total length.{{cite web |url=http://salamandersofchina.lifedesks.org/pages/4059 |title=Echinotriton andersoni (Boulenger, 1892) |author1=Sparreboom, Max |author2=Wu, Yunke |work=Salamanders of China LifeDesk |accessdate=28 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129075908/http://salamandersofchina.lifedesks.org/pages/4059 |archive-date=29 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Habitat and conservation
Its natural habitats are broad-leaved evergreen forests, secondary forests, grasslands and swamps. It has also been found in and near sugar cane fields. It breeds in standing water such as ponds and temporary pools; outside breeding season it is difficult to observe as adult salamanders live in leaf litter, in rocky crevices, and under rocks and logs.
Echinotriton andersoni is uncommon, and it is threatened by habitat loss and by collection for illegal pet trade.
Venomous
Echinotriton andersoni protects itself from predators through the uncommon ability to use their ribs to envenomate the threat. This is done by the ribs puncturing through their epidermis and lateral granular glands, which produce tetrodotoxin and piercing the threat. The mechanisms that are used for this method of protection are unusual due to their lack of muscular attachment at the ends of their ribs and the concentration of the granular glands. Occasionally their glands can appear as a lighter color than the surrounding area, hypothesized to be due to higher concentration of the tetrodotoxin in the area around their glands.Spicer, M. M., Stokes, A. N., Chapman, T. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr, Brodie, E. D., 3rd, & Gall, B. G. (2018). An Investigation into Tetrodotoxin (TTX) Levels Associated with the Red Dorsal Spots in Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) Efts and Adults. Journal of toxicology, 2018, 9196865. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9196865
See also
- Anderson's salamander (Ambystoma andersoni)