Rare Crater Lake newts hatch at Oregon Zoo for first time
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Twenty Mazama newt hatchlings emerged at the Oregon Zoo this month, marking the first time the rare subspecies has been successfully bred in human care. The hatchlings are part of an emergency conservation effort to prevent the extinction of the amphibians, which are found only at Crater Lake.
The breeding project is a collaboration with the National Park Service to bolster a wild population that has been decimated by invasive signal crayfish. The newts arrived at the zoo last summer after the invasive species spread along the shoreline, threatening the ecosystem.
Zoo care staff monitored the inaugural breeding season after two of the newts laid eggs this spring. Keepers checked on the eggs daily using a microscope and techniques originally developed for charting the progress of axolotl eggs.
The first egg hatched July 19, followed by another the next day. While 20 newtlets have emerged so far, keepers noted that additional eggs appear to be fertile and continue to develop. During their first few days, the newly hatched newts receive all their nutrients from a yolk sac.
Kaley McClung serves as a keeper in the zoo's newt conservation lab. She reported that the tiny hatchlings, roughly the size of a sunflower seed, have already begun darting and pouncing at brine shrimp offered by the staff.
“It's exciting and nerve-wracking,” McClung said. “These hatchlings are exactly what we've been hoping for since the newts first arrived here. They may be tiny, but they represent a huge and hopeful step for everyone involved.”
David Hering, an aquatic ecologist at Crater Lake National Park, emphasized that the breeding success is a critical milestone for the species.
“Right now, our focus is simply to keep Mazama newts from going extinct,” Hering said. “There's still a long road ahead before we can return them to Crater Lake, but this breeding success is a critical milestone and an encouraging sign that recovery is possible.”
Historically, the newts were an abundant aquatic predator in Crater Lake. However, invasive signal crayfish have spread along the shoreline, reducing newt numbers and disrupting the foundation of the lake's ecosystem.
The Mazama newt is currently included in the revised State Wildlife Action Plan for Oregon. Supporters have also petitioned for the subspecies to be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Several institutions are participating in the recovery effort alongside the park service. Partners include the High Desert Museum, U.S. Geological Survey, Ore. State University, University of Illinois, University of Washington, San Antonio Zoo and St. Louis Zoo.
The Oregon Zoo, National Park Service and Southern Oregon University are currently preparing a potential release site for the zoo-bred newts. Partners are studying and removing invasive predators from an isolated pond at Crater Lake to create a protected refuge where the newts can survive and reproduce.
To contribute to The Oregon Zoo Foundation, go to oregonzoo.org/give.
