Montseny brook newt
{{Short description|Species of salamander}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Montseny brook newt
| image = BennyTrapp Montseny-Gebirgsmolch Calotriton arnoldi Montseny-Gebirge Spanien.jpg
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Calotriton arnoldi
| range_map = Mapa_Calotriton_arnoldi.png
}}
The Montseny brook newt ({{langx|ca|tritó del Montseny}}; Calotriton arnoldi) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to the Montseny Massif (Catalan Pre-Coastal Range) in northeast Spain.{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Caudata/Salamandridae/Pleurodelinae/Calotriton/Calotriton-arnoldi |title=Calotriton arnoldi Carranza and Amat, 2005 |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=9 March 2015}} 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 {{convert|56|-|59|mm|abbr=on}} and females {{convert|57|-|59|mm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length. Tail is {{convert|34|-|44|mm|abbr=on}} and the maximum body size is {{convert|103|mm|abbr=on}}. 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 habitats are oligotrophic, cold (under 15 °C) fast running rivers; 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.{{as of when?|date=July 2022}} 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 (IUCN) lists it as "critically endangered".
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Commons-inline|Calotriton_arnoldi|Calotriton_arnoldi}}
{{Calotriton}}
{{Caudata}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2670899}}
Category:Endemic amphibians of the Iberian Peninsula
Category:Endemic fauna of Spain
Category:Critically endangered animals
Category:Critically endangered biota of Europe