Amphibians · Caudata · Salamandridae

Crocodile Newt

Tylototriton verrucosus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Himalayan crocodile newt is a robust salamander with very rough skin, rows of glandular tubercles along its flanks and a pronounced bony ridge on the head, features that give it the look of a miniature crocodile. It lives in mountain pools of the eastern Himalayas. Collection for the terrarium trade and for traditional medicine threaten it.

Size

12 cm – 20 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestMountainFreshwaterCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Near Threatened Amphibian Rainforest Mountain Freshwater

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Fun facts

Its ribs can pierce its skin: like other newts of its group, when squeezed it pushes the tips of its ribs out through the glandular tubercles on its flanks, which are loaded with toxins, turning them into poisoned needles.
Its rough, armoured appearance has earned it the name crocodile newt, and that look has made it much sought after in the terrarium trade.
What was regarded as a single widespread species across the Himalayas and South-East Asia has gradually been split into several, and some of the resulting populations are far more threatened than was thought.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Pools, rice fields and mountain forest streams of the eastern Himalayas and South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in mountain pools
Litter / clutch size: 43

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/