| Range: |
Southwestern China |
| Habitat: |
Forests, agricultural fields; breeds in ponds and rice paddies |
| Conservation Status: |
Common |
| Scientific Name: |
Cynops cyanurus |
This is one of the "fire belly" newts (genus Cynops) found in
Japan and China. Like the name implies, all of these critters
have bright yellow, orange, or red bellies. So, it stands to
reason that the "blue tailed" species would have a blue tail,
right? Well, not always. Only adult males have bluish
tails, and then only during the breeding season. In general,
adult blue-tailed fire-bellied newts have a dark back offset by the
fiery belly. They grow up to about four-and-a-half inches in
length, with females being somewhat larger than the males. Newts
in general spend more time in the water than other salamanders.
Some, such as the Alligator Newt, spend a long breeding season in the
water but otherwise live on land. The blue-tailed fire-bellied
newt, on the other hand, spends much of the year in the water.
Here the newt feasts on a variety of small invertebrate prey, such as
aquatic insects and frog tadpoles. Breeding takes place
in rice paddies, forest ponds, and other still waters. The female
attaches her eggs onto floating plants or other wet surfaces. In
two to four weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae, which develop in the
water over the next 90 to 120 days. Like most amphibians, the larvae transform into adults through the process of metamorphosis. The blue-tailed fire-bellied newt is considered common in the wild by IUCN, an organization that tracks species' conservation status.
However, most experts agree that the species is facing a number of
threats: habitat loss, water pollution, and (to a lesser extent)
harvesting for the pet trade. These threats could have a serious
impact on the species in the future; already some other Cynops species are considered to be extinct or very rare. Did You Know?This species is also called the Chuxiong fire-bellied newt, named after one area in China where it's found.
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