Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Bai Sujun) news: "The number of wild population of the Xinjiang salamanders has increased to 3,300. This is truly exciting news!" On January 6, 2025, Yuan Liang, an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences of Xinjiang Normal University, shared this achievement with excitement as he carefully fed the Xinjiang salamanders.

Photo taken on January 6, 2025 shows Yuan Liang feeds artificially bred Xinjiang salamanders with his students at the Xinjiang Salamander Institute in Wenquan County, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Bai Sujun)

Yuan Liang, 45 years old, has been engaged in research on the Xinjiang salamanders for 21 years. Since June 2023, he and seven other researchers from the school have comprehensively surveyed an area of 2,800 square kilometers in the western part of Wenquan County, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang, combining satellite remote sensing technology with on-the-spot visits. The surveyed area covers four rivers including the Bortala River, Etuokesaier River, Arshat River, and Milqig River, as well as their tributary water systems, and key areas such as the southern wetlands, mountains, and lakes of Wenquan County. By the end of December 2024, the survey work was successfully completed.

The results of this survey show that within the jurisdiction of Wenquan County, the wild population of the Xinjiang salamanders has increased to 3,300 individuals, and this data does not include the number of individuals hatched and intervened by humans.

"Although no new wild population habitats of the Xinjiang salamanders were discovered during this survey, it is gratifying that the wild population of the Xinjiang salamanders has increased by 300 individuals," said Yuan Liang. He added that achieving such a slight increase is not easy.

The Xinjiang salamander is a relict species with a history of 350 million years. It is also the only extant tailed amphibian in Xinjiang.. As a critically endangered species, it mainly inhabits the upstream branches of the Bortala River system in the western mountainous area of Wenquan County.

The Xinjiang salamander was named by the Russian scientist Kessler in 1866. In that year, he discovered the Xinjiang salamander in the Alataw Mountain area at the junction of eastern Kazakhstan and Xinjiang.

"In 1989, Wang Xiuling, a zoology professor at the School of Life Sciences of Xinjiang Normal University, rediscovered the Xinjiang salamander in Wenquan County. Six habitats were discovered successively at that time," said Ji Xiaowei, a staff member of the Management Station of Xinjiang Salamander National Nature Reserve. To comprehensively understand the wild population resources, habitat distribution, and family member situation of the Xinjiang salamander in Wenquan County, the management station commissioned the scientific research team of the School of Life Sciences of Xinjiang Normal University to conduct a comprehensive investigation and visit.

In 2006, professor Wang Xiuling and her team carried out a census of the wild population resources of the Xinjiang salamanders. However, due to factors such as the natural environment at that time, time constraints, and equipment shortages, the six-month-long investigation and census were limited to local areas accessible to humans. The census results of that year showed that the distribution number of the wild population of the Xinjiang salamander was only more than 2,000 individuals.

"The Xinjiang salamander itself has low genetic diversity. The habitats are far apart from each other, and there is no effective gene exchange between populations. Coupled with global warming, the groundwater level in high-altitude areas has dropped, and some spring water sources have dried up, resulting in the shrinkage of the living area of the salamanders. Due to their weak migratory ability, it is difficult for them to find new suitable habitats. These factors have restricted the growth of the wild population of the Xinjiang salamanders," said Ji Xiaowei. To break through the difficulties, a series of measures have been taken: Since 2017, grazing prohibition, enclosure breeding, and personnel access management have been implemented to reduce human activity interference; a scientific research monitoring system has been established to accurately grasp the growth laws and ecological changes of the salamanders, and scientific protection strategies have been formulated accordingly; more than 30 million yuan（about 4.09 million U.S. dollars） has been invested to strengthen management and protection capabilities, improve the facilities and functions of the nature reserve, and make every effort to create a good living and breeding environment for the Xinjiang salamanders, thus enabling the population to increase.

Photo taken on January 7, 2025 shows Ji Xiaowei (M) changes water for the artificial-bred Xinjiang salalmaders with his colleagues at a center for Xinjiang Salamander in Wenquan County, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Bai Sujun)

At present, a census report on the natural population resources of Xinjiang salamander in Wenquan County has been completed, which will provide a basis for the subsequent implementation of precise and effective protection measures.

Next, the scientific research team and experts will cooperate with relevant departments to plan to conduct a census of the wild population resources of the Xinjiang salamanders in Bole City, Alashankou City, Jinghe County, and Sayram Lake in the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture.

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