Two summers ago, field scientists dipped aquatic nets into a puddle on the highest peak of Doi Soi Malai mountain in northwestern Thailand.
They pulled three newts up with their nets, marveling at their distinct V-shaped heads, “knob-like warts,” and orange-and-black coloration.
They had discovered a new species: the Tylototriton soimalai (also known as the Doi Soi Malai crocodile newt.)
On October 15, Porrawee Pomchote — a professor at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand — and his colleagues finally released their findings to the public.
“The new species is the seventh recorded species of the genus Tylototriton reported in Thailand … [and] is currently restricted to the hill evergreen forests of Doi Soi Malai,” wrote Pomchote and his team in their study, which was published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
The Doi Soi Malai crocodile newt joins a colorful array of aquatic salamanders species. In Thailand, only six species of crocodile newt, from the subgenera Tylototriton and Yaotriton, had been previously recorded.
Crocodile newts are a primitive species. Some, like the Western Himalayan crocodile newt, have fossils that date all the way back to the Miocene period (13-25 million years ago).
Although they are ancient, they’re also increasingly rare to find. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, 60% of salamander species are threatened with extinction.
On the official website for Tourism Thailand, the site describes Mae Teun Wildlife Sanctuary as a temperate pine forest lost in a “sea of fog” 1,600 meters above sea level.
“What’s interesting,” the website reads, “is the salamander and axolotl … salamanders are very ancient, rare animals. If you are able to see any of them, you are so lucky.”
The researchers were indeed very fortunate on their expedition.
In addition to three large adult males, they also came across several baby newts — in their larval stage — swimming in the same mud puddle, which was found along a major roadway winding through Doi Soi Malai National Park.
According to the study, the “two larvae were discovered and photographed,” but they wriggled out of their leaf to “hide in the puddle” before being measured.
Upon catching the adult newts — and spotting the younger larvae — the researchers knew that they had stumbled onto an important breeding site in the park.
In an effort to protect the vulnerable site, and countless more, the researchers suggested that the park close roadways to cars and vehicles during breeding season (April to August) so that the growing newts wouldn’t be disturbed by mountain bikers and road trippers.
In their paper, the researchers also proposed that the Tylototriton soimalai be listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species, under the status of endangered — after inferring that the population size of the new crocodile newt species was surprisingly small.
Before surmising their exploration, the researchers took time to decry the human activity that was putting the Doi Soi Malai crocodile newt, and their diverse habitat of neighbors, in harm’s way.
“In addition to the road disturbances mentioned earlier, both the areas surrounding and within Mae Tuen Wildlife Sanctuary have been heavily impacted by habitat alteration and deforestation, leading to forest fragmentation,” Pomchote and his colleagues wrote.
“A conservation plan is urgently needed for this new species.”
Around the globe, salamanders are considered a “linchpin” species. They serve as prey for other vital species, while also slurping up mosquitos and curbing the overpopulation of numerous pests.
They’re also a vital indicator of environmental health issues. In forests, ponds, swamps, and wetlands, salamanders gravitate towards clean, healthy water.
So when it comes to larger conservation efforts, they serve as the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to pinpointing vulnerable regions on the decline.
Jason Goldberg, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, has been fighting for the protection of salamanders for years, both abroad and at home.
“If we lose salamanders,” Goldberg said in a statement, “we lose an important part of what keeps many of our forests and aquatic ecosystems vital, along with the benefits those ecosystems provide for the American people.”
Header image via Frédéric Gloor (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)