Montseny brook newt


The Montseny brook newt is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to the Montseny Massif in northeast Spain. Before it was formally described in 2005, it was mixed with the larger and more widely distributed Pyrenean brook salamander.

Description

Montseny brook newt males measure and females in snout–vent length. Tail is and the maximum body size is. 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 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. 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 lists it as "critically endangered".