Neurergus kaiseri

Geographic Range

Kaiser, or Luristan newts ( Neurergus kaiseri ), are endemic to the western part of the Zagros Mountains in Iran. They are restricted to a few streams near the town of Shah Bazan, in the Lorestan Province.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native

Habitat

Kaiser newts live in cold mountainous streams. These streams are in valleys where there is a mix of weather systems from the south containing warm and dry air, which mixes with systems from the north, which are mild and wet. This mix provides a cool climate that is suitable for Kaiser newts. The areas surrounding the streams are open woodlands comprised mainly of oak trees. These open woodlands are utilized outside of the breeding season.

• Habitat Regions
• freshwater freshwater

• Terrestrial Biomes
• scrub forest scrub forest

• Aquatic Biomes
• rivers and streams

Physical Description

Kaiser newts are between 10 to 14 cm in total length. The ventral side of their body and limbs is a mainly a red-orange to orange color. Their limbs have black and white markings on the dorsal and ventral sides. Their dorsal side is black with pale white spots and occasionally has very light orange to yellow coloration. They also have an orange stripe that extends from their head down towards their tail on their dorsal side. Kaiser newts exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males have an obtrusion at the base of their tail, while females have a cloaca without the obtrusion. Females have greater mass, tail length, limb length, snout to vent length, and total length. Males have a larger cloaca then females due to glands that secrete substances for the spermatophore.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• female larger

Development

Kaiser newts develop through complete metamorphosis. They begin life as aquatic larvae hatching from groups of eggs deposited on rocks or in vegetation on the side of streams. These larvae are grayish-brown and have black spots. Apart from the differing coloration, larvae resemble miniature adults with external gills. The larvae feed on small invertebrates immediately after hatching. These invertebrates include small crustaceans, worms, aquatic insect larva, and other similar-sized organisms. Members of family Salamandridae usually metamorphose in 3 to 5 months. Kaiser newts mature even faster if water temperatures exceed 20° Celsius. During metamorphosis, the larvae gain coloration similar to adults and lose external gills. Their tail also changes, losing its swimming membrane, and the paratoid glands become prominent near the head. Following metamorphosis, the juvenile newts leave their aquatic habitat to live terrestrially until they are mature enough to breed.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis

Reproduction

Kaiser newts mate in streams and ponds where males seek females. The male remains hidden until females are present. The male then pursues the female, though not as aggressively as compared with other Neurergus species. The male positions himself so that his anterior portion is facing the anterior region of the female. While positioned in front of the female, the male begins fanning and slapping his tail, probably to disperse pheromone excretions towards the female. The fanning goes on for a few seconds and then is followed by a pause where the male remains in front of the female. After fanning is completed, the male walks in front of the female, with his tail raised and continues performing undulations. As the male walks away, he deposits his spermatophore (gelatinous packet that contains sperm). The male then continues in front of the spermatophore and positions himself perpendicular to the female. When males begin their display, the female stands still until the male begins to walk in front of her. The female follows the male, touching her snout to the tip of his tail. After this, the male deposits his spermatophore and the female picks it up in her cloaca, where her eggs are fertilized. Females will later deposit eggs on rocks in the stream. It is unknown how many mates each sex may have in a season.

Breeding occurs in spring (March to April); a female may produce up to 60 eggs. Metamorphosis may require 3 to 4 months, after which, maturity is achieved in 2 to 4 years.

• Key Reproductive Features
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous
• sperm-storing sperm-storing

After the eggs are deposited, larvae and metamorphs have no further purposeful contact with their parents.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan of Kaiser newts has not been studied in the wild, but the related species, Kurdistan newts , can live 14 years in the wild; it is likely that Kaiser newts have a similar lifespan.

Behavior

Not much is known about the behavior of Kaiser newts. They live a terrestrial lifestyle outside of the breeding season from March to April. Given the rough terrain of their habitat, it is unlikely that they move very far away from the breeding streams. During the breeding season, they increase their food intake to compensate for the extreme energy costs of mating.

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• motile motile
• hibernation hibernation

Home Range

It is likely that Kaiser newts have relatively small home ranges but more research is needed.

Communication and Perception

Kaiser newts, like most other members of family Salmandridae , have large eyes that are farsighted in water. Their eyes are also adapted to function in and out of water. Sight is used in mating, for males to identify females and for females to see tail fanning displays. As with other newts, olfaction is likely well-developed and pheromones may be used in communication between the sexes. Touch is used when females nuzzle the male's tail before spermatophore deposition. Their ear structure works in maintaining balance and perceiving sounds. The extent to which their auditory perception is used in communications with other newts is unknown. More research is needed to develop further understanding of their modes of communications and perception.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones pheromones

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Invertebrates are the main food source of Kaiser newts. Their specific prey are unknown, however, wild Kurdistan newts , a species in the same genus, have a diet of crustaceans, insects, and snails. Due to similarities between the species, their environments, and what Kaiser newts have been fed in captivity, their diets are likely comparable.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • eats non-insect arthropods
  • molluscivore molluscivore
  • vermivore

• Animal Foods
• insects
• terrestrial non-insect arthropods
• mollusks

Predation

Kaiser newts are predators in their environment; however, their natural predators are unknown. The contrasting aposematic coloration of these newts suggests they have distasteful or toxic skin secretions, as is common among other members of family Salamandridae , which would discourage predators.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• aposematic aposematic

Ecosystem Roles

Kaiser newts presumably control invertebrates in their aquatic habitats, their eggs and larvae may also serve as food for other organisms. These newts may be good biological indicators since they feed on low trophic invertebrates that would be affected by pollution.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Kaiser newts cause economic gain due to the pet trade. Unfortunately, this exploitation has lead to the near-extirpation of this population in the wild. Captive breeding may allow the species to continue to exist as an economic benefit for a few people.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Kaiser newts pose no negative effects for humans.

Conservation Status

Kaiser newts have become critically endangered because of their exploitation for the pet trade. This has led Kaiser newts to be classified under Appendix 1 of CITES. They are also threatened by dams in the area and by local droughts.

Other Comments

Unfortunately, populations of Kaiser newts were greatly reduced by commercial exploitation before they were well-studied in nature.

Additional Links

AmphibiaWeb

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Tim Curtis (author), Michigan State University, James Harding (editor), Michigan State University, Leila Siciliano Martina (editor), Texas State University.

References

Duellman, W. 1999. Patterns of Distribution of Amphibians . Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Francis, E. 1934. The Anatomy of the Salamander . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Max Sparreboom, , Sebastian Steinfartz, Gunter Schultschik. 2000. Courtship behaviour of Neurergus ( Caudata : Salamandridae ). Amphibia-Reptilia , 22: 1-11.

Schmidt, K. 1952. Diagnoses of New Amphibians and Reptiles from Iran. Natural History Miscellanea , 93: 1-2.

Sharifi, M., T. Papenfuss, N. Rastegar-Pouyani, S. Anderson, S. Kuzmin. 2009. " Neurergus kaiseri " (On-line). Accessed December 02, 2013 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/59450/0 .

Sharifi, M., H. Farasat, S. Vaissi. 2012. Sexual size dimorphism in Neurergus kaiseri ( Caudata : Salamandridae ) in south-western Zagros Mountains, Iran. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation , 6: 1-8.

2010. Consideration of Proposals For Amendment of Appendices I and II. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CoP15 Prop. 14: 1-10. Accessed December 02, 2013 at http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/15/prop/E-15-Prop-14.pdf .