Scientists solve Manipur salamander ‘puzzle’

Source: The post is based on the article “Scientists solve Manipur salamander ‘puzzle’”  published in The Hindu on 16th August 2023.

What is the News?

In 2022, scientists explored the Khongtheng mountain range in Manipur to study Tylototriton verrucosus, also known as the crocodile newt.

While exploring, they discovered a new salamander species named Tylototriton zaimeng in Zaimeng Lake.

What is Tylototriton zaimeng?

Tylototriton zaimeng is a salamander species in the Zaimeng Lake of Manipur.

– Note: Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. 

Named after: Tylototriton zaimeng has been named after Zaimeng, a mountain lake located atop the Khongtheng mountain range in Kangpokpi district of Manipur.

– Zaimeng is the dialect spoken by the Liangmai people, a Naga tribe residing both in Nagaland and Manipur. Zaimeng in the Liangmai dialect means “puzzle” or “mystery”.

Habitat: The habitat of Tylototriton zaimeng is confined to the Khongtheng mountain range in Manipur.

Features: Tylototriton zaimeng — was mistaken for its close relatives T. himalayanus and T. verrucosus until now.

– However, researchers found that it had distinct characteristics that set it apart from its close relatives.

– It was found to be a medium-sized salamander unlike any other. Its head is massive and wide, with a rounded snout and protruding supratemporal bony ridges, while a well-developed sagittal ridge adorns its crown.

Recommended conservation status: Due to its isolation and limited distribution, the scientists have advocated inclusion of the new species in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List as a Vulnerable (VU) species.