life history of this species is not well known and the presence of an eft stage has yet to be determined. Breeding is not known to occur in any specific month, but rather is tied to rainfall. Breeding occurs year-round. After reproduction, the eggs are attached to a substrate within the water among the submerged vegetation preferably in shallow water. Generally, this species in unable to tolerate habitat disturbance like habitat destruction or pollution which are major threats to this species. They are carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of prey, including insects, aquatic invertebrates, leeches, and other amphibians. Newts are known for their brightly colored skin that advertises their toxic secretions from their poison glands. This coloration is called aposematic coloration. Their toxic skin secretions are used to deter predators. When disturbed, this species exhibits the unken reflex. This is a behavior where the organism contorts its body in a spiral fashion to expose its brightly colored underside and the head is tucked underneath the tail. This is presumed to be a way for this organism to signal its toxicity. After a period without disturbance, the newt will relax. Range Notophthalmus meridionalis can be found in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí in Mexico, barely extending into northeastern Hidalgo and Puebla. It is also found in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico. Salamanders within the genus Notophthalmus are found in North America exclusively. There are three extant species: eastern newt (N. viridescens), black-spotted newt (N. meridionalis), and striped newt (N. perstriatus). The eastern newt (N. viridescens) ranges through the eastern United States whereas the black-spotted newt is restricted to southeastern Texas and northeastern Mexico. The progression of the black-spotted newt from its common ancestor is hypothesized to have started around the late Miocene epoch. The North American tropics retreated south causing an isolation of the Southeastern American plate. This biogeological event allowed Notophthalmus meridionalis in eastern Mexico and Notophthalmus perstriatus in Florida to diverge. Conservation The black-spotted newt is listed as a threatened species in Texas and as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. The major threat to this species is human development; land is commonly altered for agriculture conversion or infrastructure. The more land that is converted, the less available habitat there is for the newts. This species has also become endangered in Texas from the use of insecticide and herbicide. Their permeable skin absorbs