The Prospect Park Zoo Is Now Home To Some Incredibly Rare Newts

Ever heard of a Kaiser’s spotted newt? What about an Anderson’s crocodile newt? If not, don’t worry–you now have the chance to see and learn about them just a couple of minutes from home.

The Prospect Park Zoo recently came into possession of five Kaiser’s spotted newts, which are from a five square-mile radius in Iran–and may be extinct in the wild altogether as a result of habitat loss and illegal trade. The zoo also has five Anderson’s crocodile newts, not critically endangered like their Kaiser’s spotted brothers, but still unusual with their dull, armored appearance. The Anderson’s newts are native to China, Japan, and northern Taiwan.

The Kaiser’s spotted newts are in the Animals in Art exhibit, and the Anderson’s crocodile newts are in the Amphibian Crisis exhibit.

Photo by Julie Larsen Maher