IUCN lists C. ensicauda as endangered

At long last C. ensicauda has been designated as "endangered" by the IUCN (World Conservation Union)!

It previously had no IUCN listing whatsoever despite having been listed several years ago in Japan's Red Data Book as "nearly vulnerable".
This is an important step in conserving this overexploited species.

Here is the relevant info from the just-released Global Amphibian Assessment:

Scientific Name: Cynops ensicauda
Authority: (Hallowell, 1860)
English Common Name(s): Sword-tailed Newt
Other Common Name(s): Shirikenimori (Japanese)
Red List Category: Endangered (EN)
Red List Criteria: B1ab(iii,v)
Red List Category Rationale: 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.
Date of Assessment: 08 Apr 2004
Red List Assessor(s): Yoshio Kaneko, Masafumi Matsui
Red List Evaluator(s): Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)
Population Trend: Decreasing
Notes on Red List Status: This species was listed as Near Threatened at the GAA Japanese red listing process.
The IUCN category has been changed to reflect global consistency in the application of the categories and criteria.
Range Comments: This species is endemic to Japan. It is restricted to 12 islands in the Amami-Okinawa group.
Population: Its population is decreasing. In a site in southern Okinawajima Island, the number of animals in the breeding
season decreased by 75 % in 15 years.
Major Threats: Habitat degradation, in particular deforestation, is ongoing, leading to fragmentation of habitats and populations.
Other forms of habitat loss 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.
It is also affected by the introduction of invasive fish species.
Road kill also causes population fragmentation.

(Message edited by TJ on June 25, 2005)

Last night on the Dutch news I heard that world wide amphibians are increasingly on the break of extinction. In Holland 9 out of 16 species would be seriously endangered.

Can't say that I'm overjoyed Tim, but I'm glad C. Ensicauda is on the list as it should be. Sort of a recognition.

I think C.ensicauda is more usual here than in Japan then. Every pet shop has a couple. They have replaced orientalis as the most usual sal/newt in Sweden. They are bought in Hong kong.
Hmm, do you think it will be protected in Japan now? So that this mass collection will end?

Jesper, it's not unusual at all to find them in pet shops here, but it's a seasonal thing. They begin appearing in large numbers in the cooler months, once the breeding season starts and they're easy to mass collect. The scale of the trade is really damaging...

It's pretty alarming to see them replacing orientalis as the most usual newt around. I've also heard they're shipped to Hong Kong by the thousands. I'm still trying to track down info about the Taiwan connection.

I'm anxious to learn whether the listing will lead to concrete protection regulations as in the case of Echinotriton andersoni.

Joeri, the Global Amphibian Assessment was released yesterday. It's billed as the most comprehensive survey of its kind ever conducted, enlisting the cooperation of more than 500 scientists from over 60 nations.

http://www.globalamphibians.org/summary.htm

I'm thrilled at the designation because this is my favorite caudate and I hate to see what's happening to it (though I too have been a part of the problem, if you know what I mean). I think there are enough ensicauda breeders out there now to meet the demand for CB ensicauda from serious keepers into the future. Anybody disagree?

(Message edited by TJ on February 16, 2006)

This has been overdue. Thanks for the info.

Sure thing, Ralf

Looks like you might have to update the information in your Caudate Culture caresheet, eh?
I'm sure glad the information has surfaced before the caudata.org magazine is finalized

But I'm surprised it even happened as I'd spoken with an IUCN representative in Tokyo just several months ago about C. ensicauda for my article and was told the species had never even been submitted to the relevant committee for consideration. I don't know if he was simply ill-informed or the ball just got rolling after that time.
I don't know for sure the relationship between IUCN listing and CITES listing, but I would imagine IUCN listing would be a step in the direction of eventual CITES listing. As far as herps go, CITES seems to me to be overly focused on turtles & tortoises...

I think the best thing that could happen as a next step would be for the C. ensicauda to be upgraded from NV to another status that better reflects the reality and that affords it actual protection.

(Message edited by TJ on February 16, 2006)

If C enisicauda is replacing C. orientalis coult it be because C. orientalis is now declining in the wild, or because enisicauda is more talerant of the pet shop environment.

Hi Benjamin.

Jesper seems to be only talking about Sweden. I would be surprised (more like alarmed) if the same is occurring elsewhere.

C. orientalis may be declining but it has a much wider range, as far as I know. I think the trend mentioned by Jesper in Sweden is just a question of connections established between dealers in Europe and Asia.

Indeed, I now see that the Global Amphibian Assessment lists C. orientalis as a species of "least concern" and says the following:

Red List Category Rationale: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

(Message edited by TJ on October 15, 2004)

Oh well that's good news about C. o.s I've just noticed them dissapearing from petshops near me (though they haven't been replaced with C. e.s, or any other type of newts for that matter.) When asked pet stores say that they don't find them on the market anymore.

tim, does this include both subspecies of C.e?

Ira, yes, it sure does.

The amount of c.o. varies very much with the season, at least here. Yeah, I'm only talking about Sweden. I know who is importing them too. Fortunately enough they know how to handle newts, I was so surprised to see this that I haven't had the heart to criticize them...
I guess I'll have to talk to them again, the amount coming in now is REALLY alarming. I'm hoping the listing means something to them.