The Himalayan Newt (Tylototriton verrucosus) is a species of newt found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Himalayan Newt also called the Himalayan Salamander is one of the rarest and oldest amphibian creature existed before the giant dinosaurs to be found in the hills of Darjeeling, India. Scientifically it is known as Tylototriton verrucosus. It was once regarded as totally extinct from this planet Earth, but it was found living in the Hills of Darjeeling in 1964 at Jorepokhari, 20 km from Darjeeling. It is understood that this Himalayan Salamander is a very primitive and highly endangered species. It figures in the Red Data Book of IUCN and included in Schedule No 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in India.
The Himalayan Newt has rough skin, measuring up to the length of 20cm when it reaches full adulthood. They have five toes and the tail is flattened to aid swimming. The head is wide and the snout is short and the head has three prominent bony ridges. The legs are moderately long with the fingers and toes within webbing but are slightly flattened. The tail is at least as long as the head and body and is flattened to help in swimming. The skin is rough and the parotid glands are large with strong fold on the chin. The entire Newt is uniformly blackish brown, slightly paler on the lips, snout, chin, throat, and under surface of limbs. The lower edge of the tail is orange yellow. Salamander are differentiated from other amphibians (frogs and caecilians) conspicuously by the presence of a tail in all larvae, juveniles and adults, and by having limbs set at right angles to the body with forelimbs and hindlimbs of approximately equal size.
The Salamander generally prefers to adopt shallow ponds of the hills which receive maximum sunlight. They usually feed on the diet like spider, scorpion, insects and some mollusc. They lay their eggs inside the water which sticks to the aquatic plants otherwise it would be very difficult for a Salamander to lay eggs in clean water. They lay the eggs easily by moving forwards and the eggs easily come out from the body. The Himalayan Newt is found at the elevation of Darjeeling Hills region from 4000 ft to 5000 ft. The Newts’ can be caught with no difficulty because of their sluggish movements. During day time its movement is rather slow but at night it becomes quite energetic and spirited. They breed during rainy season at the month of May-June, when it receives the season’s first shower in the month of May it comes out from the crevices, holes after six month of hibernation for mating and breeding at the pond or water logging areas.
This tiny creature was also found at
the Tiger Hill just adjacent to the Mandir where a small natural pond was in
existence. This shallow pond was good enough for the Salamander for mating and
breeding since time immemorial but the development work of DGHC blindly
converted this natural habitat of Salamander into a cemented pond which
destroyed all the natural processes in the year 2000-2001. At present a good
habitat is in existence at Margret’s Hope T.E where a lake is present for the Salamander to lay eggs and the tadpoles to grow. Even at Pokhriabong Forest area
where a marshy land exists, a good number of Salamanders were seen during
summer months in the year 2007.
The most congenial habitat of
Salamander was the pond of Jorepokhri, just a few meters above of Sukhiapokhri,
a village township, almost 20 km away from the Darjeeling town. It is this
natural pond where a good number of Salamanders were found for the first time
in the Hills of Darjeeling by the researchers in the year 1964. The Margret’s
Hope Salamander Lake, Namthing Pokhari, Nakepani, Ran Dhap when re-established
and propagation will be the centre of attraction in the hills and other areas
catering to the needs of Nature Education, recreation and conservation.
No comments:
Post a Comment