Cynops ensicauda

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	CAUDATA	SALAMANDRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Cynops ensicauda

Species Authority:

(Hallowell, 1860)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Sword-tailed Newt

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Endangered B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2004
Assessor/s:	Yoshio Kaneko, Masafumi Matsui
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)
Justification: Listed as Endangered because its Extent of Occurrence is less than 5,000 km2, its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, and in the number of mature individuals, in the Amami-Okinawa group.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is restricted to twelve islands in the Amami and Okinawa island groups, in the Ryukyus, Japan.
Countries:	Native: Japan
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Its population is decreasing. In a site in southern Okinawajima, the number of animals recorded in the breeding season has decreased by 75% in 15 years.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs on wet forest floors and in grassland, and breeds in pools and streams, where the larvae also develop.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat to the species is habitat degradation and loss, due mainly to clear-cutting and human settlement. Other threats include reclamation of ponds, and construction of artificial concrete ditches. The species is also in the pet trade in Japan and is used for medicinal purposes in Taiwan, Province of China. It has further been affected by the introduction of invasive fish species.

Major Threat(s):

The major threat to the species is habitat degradation and loss, due mainly to clear-cutting and human settlement. Other threats include reclamation of ponds, and construction of artificial concrete ditches. The species is also in the pet trade in Japan and is used for medicinal purposes in Taiwan, Province of China. It has further been affected by the introduction of invasive fish species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It probably occurs in some protected areas, but this requires confirmation. It is necessary to ensure that trade in this species is closely monitored and regulated.

Conservation Actions:

It probably occurs in some protected areas, but this requires confirmation. It is necessary to ensure that trade in this species is closely monitored and regulated.

Citation:	Yoshio Kaneko, Masafumi Matsui 2004. Cynops ensicauda. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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