Newts and European Salamanders: Salamandridae

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists one species of newts and European salamanders as Extinct, one as Critically Endangered, nine as Endangered, ten as Vulnerable, and eleven as Low Risk/Near Threatened. Extinct means no longer in existence. Critically Endangered means facing extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Endangered means facing very high risk of extinction in the wild. Vulnerable means facing high risk of extinction in the wild. Low Risk/Near Threatened means at risk of becoming threatened with extinction in the future.

Newts and European salamanders are threatened by loss of habitat as the result of too much cutting of trees, the spread of cities, and poor farming practices. Some of these salamanders can live together with people in areas where farmers use traditional methods, such as making natural fences out of hedges and digging ponds for livestock. Modern farming methods are dangerous to salamanders. Ponds are filled in, hedges are torn up, and chemical fertilizers as well as the chemicals used to kill insects and weeds also kill salamanders.