Crater Lake Newt Drops to 13, ESA Lawsuit Filed

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Oregon's Crater Lake newt population has crashed from 35 to just 13 individuals in a single year, pushing this unique amphibian to the edge of extinction.

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Found nowhere else on Earth, these rare newts face a deadly invasion of signal crayfish that now dominate 95% of Crater Lake's shoreline.

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The Center for Biological Diversity has launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration for failing to protect the critically endangered newt.

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Signal crayfish, introduced to the lake in 1915, hunt newts and their eggs while also stealing their food supply in a one-sided battle.

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Climate change has warmed Crater Lake's waters, creating perfect conditions for crayfish to multiply rapidly while stressing the cold-adapted newts.

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Scientists warn the invasive crayfish could completely take over the lake's shoreline within just two years, leaving newts nowhere to hide.

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Crater Lake newts are unique little amphibians on the brink of extinction and urgent action is needed," warns endangered species attorney Chelsea Stewart-Fusek.

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The famous crystal-clear waters of Crater Lake face clouding from increased algae growth as crayfish devour the invertebrates that normally control algae.

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Captive breeding programs may be the last hope for saving the newts until effective crayfish control methods can be implemented.

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With 40% of the world's amphibians at risk of extinction, the Crater Lake newt crisis serves as a warning about combined threats of invasive species and climate change.

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