Yunnan lake newt

The Yunnan lake newt (Cynops wolterstorffi) is an extinct species of newt in the family Salamandridae, and was also known as Wolterstorff's newt.^[2] It was only found near the Kunming Lake in Yunnan, China. It was found in shallow lake waters and adjacent freshwater habitats. Despite extensive surveys, it has not been seen since 1979, and was officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2005. Some experts say that it is therefore considered extinct. The reasons for its extinction are believed to be habitat loss, pollution, and introduced species.^[1]

Yunnan lake newt
Conservation status
Extinct (1979)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Salamandridae
Genus:	Cynops
Species:	†C. wolterstorffi
Binomial name
†Cynops wolterstorffi (Boulenger, 1905)
Synonyms
Molge wolterstorffi Boulenger, 1905 Hypselotriton wolterstorffi (Boulenger, 1905)

Etymology

The specific name wolterstorffi honours Willy Wolterstorff, German geologist and herpetologist.^[3]