What to know about Vietnam's rare crocodile newt
Like the Tam Đảo newt of the Tam Đảo mountains in northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese crocodile newt (scientific name: Tylototriton vietnamensis) is an exceptionally rare animal found only in Vietnam, and it urgently needs protection as the gradual degradation of its habitat pushes it toward extinction.
While the Tam Đảo newt has been known for a very long time, the Vietnamese crocodile newt was only documented by scientists in 2005. It has been found in Lào Cai province (the former Văn Bàn district), Cao Bằng province (the former Nguyên Bình district), the former Bắc Giang province, now part of Bắc Ninh (the former Lục Nam district), and Nghệ An province (the former Quế Phong district), and has not been recorded in any country other than Vietnam.
This "frog in lizard's clothing" has a flat head, a short snout and a nearly square head shape.
This "frog in lizard's clothing" has a flat head, a short snout, a nearly square head shape, rough, warty skin and a prominent ridge along its back. Each flank bears a row of raised knobs, each one corresponding to the tip of a rib. The tips of the limbs, the underside of the tail and the rim of the vent are a vivid orange-red that stands out against the gray body. In many individuals, the knobs on the flanks and the upper edge of the tail are also orange-red.
The Vietnamese crocodile newt lives in pools of water (ponds, puddles and the like) full of mud and decaying leaves, in closed-canopy mountain forest at elevations of 250 to 300 meters.
The Vietnamese crocodile newt currently has a very small range.
According to scientists' observations, the newts eat earthworms, insects and other invertebrates. The species currently has a very small range. In Vietnam's Red Data Book, it is listed as endangered and threatened with extinction. Measures to protect this unique amphibian are essential.
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