Imphal: Environmentalists have raised concerns over the reported decline of orange salamanders in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, with shrinking damp and marshy habitats, deforestation and erratic rainfall patterns threatening the amphibians.
Locally known as Lengva in the Tangkhul Naga dialect and Chum in Meitei, the species is scientifically classified as Tylototriton verrucosus and commonly referred to as the Himalayan newt. The amphibians are often mistaken for lizards.
Himalayan newts thrive in cool, temperate conditions with heavy rainfall from May to October. Their habitats include mountain forests, rocky ponds and marshlands with dense vegetation. They hibernate during winter and begin breeding with the first monsoon rains in May and June, when they migrate to water bodies for mating and egg-laying in rocky ponds with aquatic vegetation.
Local residents say the salamanders’ low-pitched mating call, described as a distinct “twak-twak-twak” sound during the monsoon, has become increasingly rare.
Zingthanla Zimik, a 75-year-old resident of Ukhrul village, recalled that the amphibians were abundant a couple of decades ago across Kazar, Muiyi, Pahei and Tuira, as well as around Halang, Shirui and Shimtang, where marshlands and dense vegetation were once widespread.
While noting that there is still no formal scientific study establishing the exact causes of the decline, Zimik said the expansion of roads, buildings and other infrastructure had severely degraded the salamanders’ natural habitats.
Ersi Jajo, an associate professor at Pettigrew College in Ukhrul, said the sharp reduction in the population may also be linked to rising local temperatures. She also pointed to the continued consumption of the species by some people for purported medicinal purposes, including remedies for cancer and palliative care, despite the absence of medical or scientific validation for such uses.
Explaining the species’ biology, Jajo said salamanders are cold-blooded animals and that their coloration varies depending on their environment and habitat.
Environmental advocates have called for comprehensive scientific research to determine the status and causes of the decline and for protection of the remaining habitats on which the salamanders depend.