#ranodon

[herpsandbirds]

Central Asian Salamander (Ranodon sibiricus), family Hynobiidae, Kazakhstan

ENDANGERED.

photographs by Laura Bok

[herpsandbirds]

Central Asian Salamander (Ranodon sibiricus), family Hynobiidae, found in streams in Kazakhstan and NW China.

ENDANGERED.

photograph by Henk Wallays

[libutron]

Central Asian Salamander - Ranodon sibiricus 

This chubby-cheeked creature is the Central Asian Salamander, Ranodon sibiricus (Caudata - Hynobiidae), a robust salamander whose parotoids are clearly visible. Parotoids are external skin glands on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It secretes a milky alkaloid substance to deter predators. The substance, bufotoxin, acts as a neurotoxin.

The Central Asian Salamander inhabit cool brooks, where the density may attain several dozens of individuals per 100 m. However, usually the density is much lower, and in general it is an extremely rare species.

Ranodon sibiricus is documented only from the mountain system of the Junggarian Alatau in Southern Kazakhstan and North-Western Xinjiang (China). In China, the total population size is estimated at around 6,000 individuals. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

References: [1] - [2] - [3]

Photo credit: ©Henk Wallays | Locality: not indicated (2005) | [Top] - [Bottom]