Surveyors returning to a known historic breeding pool this spring found Kurdistan Newts present again after several years with no confirmed records at the site, including several egg-laying adults.
The Kurdistan Newt is endemic to a small area spanning the Iraq-Iran border region and is highly sensitive to changes in pool permanence and water quality, making it a useful indicator species for the health of these mountain wetland habitats.
The site will be added to the regular amphibian monitoring rotation going forward.
