Sword-Tail Newt

Description:

A sword tailed newt at the Sedgwick County Zoo, or as they called it, an Okinawa newt. That common name works, since these guys live in the Ryukyu Archipelago, which includes Okinawa but also like, six other major islands, and that's not even getting into the small clusters of islands in the Yeayama Islands. Anyway, these guys are the largest Cynops spp. newts and are endangered. They're sometimes confused for Japanese fire bellied newts, C. orientalis, but can be discerned from their larger size and smoother skin.

Habitat:

Native to the Ryukyu Archipelago, the largest island of which is Okinawa. Along with Osumi, Tokara, Amami, Miyako, and the Yaeyama Islands.