Vietnamese crocodile newts
(Tylototriton spp.)
T. vietnamensis is known to be found in only three provinces of northern Vietnam. The species is dependent on forested areas, which are increasingly being cleared for agricultural land. Mining is also a threat, as the range is located in a region with large coal deposits. In addition, the collection of the animals for traditional medicine as well as for the national and international pet trade has a big influence.
Conservation action for the Vietnamese Crocodile Newt has already taken place in partnership between the IEBR and Cologne Zoo. Over 400 individuals have been successfully bred and raised. Offspring from the zoo have been distributed to other European zoos and to private breeders as insurance populations, with some also being repatriated from Cologne Zoo to Vietnam. The species could be reassessed as “vulnerable”, while in 2016 it still was “endangered”.
The extensive factsheet for this species can be downloaded below.
