Black-spotted newt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-spotted newt |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Notophthalmus
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| Species: |
meridionalis
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| Subspecies | |
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N. m. kallerti (Wolterstorff, 1930) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The black-spotted newt (also called the Texas newt) is a type of newt that lives in water. Its scientific name is Notophthalmus meridionalis. You can find these newts in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas in the United States.
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What Does It Look Like?
The black-spotted newt is a small creature. It grows to be about 7 to 11 centimeters (2.9 to 4.3 inches) long. Most of them are olive green in color. They have many black spots all over their bodies.
Their bellies are often yellow. This yellow color can sometimes go up their sides too. Black-spotted newts have smooth skin. Their tails are shaped like paddles and are flat from top to bottom. They use their tails to swim.
These newts like to live in calm water. You can find them in quiet parts of streams. They also live in ponds and ditches that may or may not dry up.
How Do They Behave?
Black-spotted newts prefer shallow water. They like places with lots of plants. When the weather gets dry, they might dig underground. They can also hide under things like logs or rocks.
These newts are carnivores, which means they eat meat. They hunt and eat many different kinds of small animals. This includes insects, small creatures without backbones that live in water, and even leeches. They might also eat other small amphibians.
To protect themselves, black-spotted newts have a special defense. Their skin makes a toxic (poisonous) liquid. This liquid helps to keep predators away. Newts can breed all year long. Scientists are still learning about their full life cycle. They are not sure if these newts have an "eft" stage, which is a land-dwelling young newt.
Where Do They Live?
The Notophthalmus meridionalis can be found in several states in Mexico. These include Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí. They also live in a small part of northeastern Hidalgo and Puebla.
In the United States, you can find them in southern Texas. They live along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Why Are They Important to Protect?
The black-spotted newt needs our help. In Texas, it is listed as a threatened species. This means their numbers are getting low. The IUCN also lists them as an endangered species. This means they are at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Protecting their homes and keeping their water clean is important for their survival.
