---
title: "Sword-tailed Newt"
description: "Cynops ensicauda — Anfibi. The sword-tailed newt, yellow-bellied newt, or Okinawa newt (Cynops ensicauda) is a species of true salamander from the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/sword-tailed-newt
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Sword-tailed Newt

> Cynops ensicauda — Anfibi. The sword-tailed newt, yellow-bellied newt, or Okinawa newt (Cynops ensicauda) is a species of true salamander from the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan.

- Scientific name: *Cynops ensicauda*
- Category: `amphibians` (Anfibi)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Laghi e fiumi)
- iNaturalist observations: 1045
- Wikidata: [Q393887](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q393887)
- iNaturalist taxon: [27788](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/27788)

## Names

- en: Sword-tailed Newt
- de: Schwertschwanzmolch
- fr: Cynops d'Amami
- nl: Zwaardstaartsalamander

## Countries with the most observations

JP (980)

## Summary

The sword-tailed newt, yellow-bellied newt, or Okinawa newt (Cynops ensicauda) is a species of true salamander from the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan.
It has recently been placed on Japan's Red List of Threatened Amphibians. Sword-tail newts are poisonous, and may also be referred to as fire-bellied newts due to the orange coloration of their underside. They are not to be confused with the common Chinese and Japanese species. It is distinguished from these two species by their larger size, broader heads and smoother skin. Its coloration ranges from brown to black, occasionally with an orange dorsal stripe. Some individuals…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword-tail_newt

## Photo

![Sword-tailed Newt](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/sword-tailed-newt/medium.jpg)

Photo: James Eaton · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/395786222

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/sword-tailed-newt?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).