You might as well have called this lecture “everything you wanted to know about newts and amphibians and how the sixth extinction orchestrated by humanity is affecting their survival.”
The lecture, “The California Newt: It’s not a movie star life” by Pepperdine University professor and researcher Dr. Lee Katz, was held at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Katz explained that newts are one of the most interesting endemic species in all of California.
First of all, they are not salamanders. Secondly, they’re one of the most toxic organisms and have a lifestyle that includes a breeding and larval stage in freshwater. Third, and shockingly, they have internal fertilization.
So why are these amphibians so important and what do they tell us about the changing ecosystems, threats to their survival and impacts on the food web?
These vertebrate animals and other amphibians are sensitive to environmental changes such as weather events, including droughts, wildfires and mudslides that occur after storms that are a regular feature in California. In addition, the skin of frogs and other amphibians, like newts, helps them breathe. Likewise, there is a fungus that grows on them that impairs their ability to maintain their electrolyte balance through absorbing water through their skin. Last and very important, for local consideration and action, is habitat destruction which includes pollution, logging and human development in their habitats that make these areas inhabitable.
In addition, “Amphibians face particularly high illegal trade as pets. Researching before adopting a new companion can avoid inadvertently contributing to this global problem” said Erin Lundy, conservation coordinator at the aquarium. “Some ways to research include looking up the protected status of the species, making sure the animals are bred under human care, and asking where the animal came from.”
The aquarium serves as a sanctuary for animals seized from wildlife traffickers, including those that are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The aquarium is also part of ongoing conservation efforts to help save Mountain yellow-legged frogs from extinction, a species that was once abundant in San Gabriel, San Bernardino and the San Jacinto mountains and is currently endangered. The aquarium cares for and raises these frogs from tadpoles so they can be released into the wild. The aquarium has helped increase their population by 300 so far.
This new intriguing and educational exhibit includes more than 20 species of frogs and amphibians from countries including Madagascar, Vietnam, Mexico and others, highlighting the most endangered species and the efforts to save them from extinction. The exhibit will be open through April 2025.