Japanese fire-bellied newt
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Each Japanese fire-bellied newt has a different belly pattern.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Japanese fire-bellied newt
- Scientific name
- Cynops pyrrhogaster
- Japanese name
- アカハライモリ
- Group
- Amphibians and reptiles
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Salamandridae
- Genus
- Cynops
Where the name “Japanese fire-bellied newt” comes from
Its Japanese name comes from the vivid red pattern on its belly.
上野動物園Like frogs, it is an amphibian. It lives around water such as rice paddies, irrigation ditches and small streams.
Its red belly is a warning color that says, "I am poisonous!" It carries the same poison that pufferfish have.
How the Japanese fire-bellied newt lives
The larva lives underwater and has branching gills on the sides of its head. As it grows, it transforms and begins breathing with lungs. During breeding season, the male moves its tail in a courtship display to a female.
上野動物園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: males 7–11.5 cm, females 8–14 cm
- Weight
- 3–12 g
- Diet
- Tadpoles and aquatic insects
- Range
- Japan excluding Hokkaido, Okinawa, Tsushima, and the Ogasawara Islands
- Conservation status in Japan
- Near Threatened (NT)Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Japanese fire-bellied newt has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- アカハライモリ
- 简体中文
- 红腹蝾螈
- 繁體中文
- 紅腹蠑螈
- 한국어
- 일본붉은배영원
- Français
- Cynops d'Hiroshima
- Deutsch
- Japanischer Feuerbauchmolch
- Italiano
- Tritone dal ventre di fuoco
- العربية
- نيوط ناري البطن الياباني
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Salamander perut api jepang
- Русский
- Огненнобрюхий тритон
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — アカハライモリChecked: 2026-11-03
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Japanese fire-bellied newt, look for this
- Look at the male’s broad, flattened tail.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Japanese fire-bellied newt
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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