Lorestani Salamander: From Uninvited Guest at Haft-Seen to Smuggling to Neighboring Countries

The arrival of Nowruz and the booming market for goldfish once again sparked the debate about whether to buy or not to buy this beautiful species. There are experts and environmental activists who believe that regardless of the association of goldfish with the Haft-Seen table, releasing them into the rivers and wetlands of Iran poses a danger to the country's ecosystem. Every Nowruz, millions of goldfish die in Iran. According to Gholamreza Rafiei, a professor of fisheries at the Faculty of Natural Resources at Tehran University, the lifespan of goldfish after being released into Iran's rivers is so short that, contrary to some claims, it does not pose a threat to the environment. In recent years, the interest of some people in purchasing and placing the Lorestani salamander on the Haft-Seen table has also put this beautiful and native species of Iran at risk of extinction alongside some other species. Afshin Alizadeh, a professor at the Faculty of Natural Resources at Tehran University, considers the smuggling of the Lorestani salamander to the Persian Gulf countries as another misfortune for this Iranian species. Alizadeh states, "Salamanders are generally creatures that, due to their low mobility, are very dependent on limited habitats. In different regions, there are different species of salamanders that are only found in that area. Among these salamanders are the fire salamander and the Lorestani salamander. Iran has high diversity in salamanders, but Lorestani salamanders have attracted a lot of attention due to their color contrast and size. Many of these salamanders are also caught for the Haft-Seen table. However, given that they have now found a market outside of Iran, especially in the Persian Gulf countries where their salamander diversity is very low, there is a higher demand for salamanders in those regions. For example, there is currently a high demand for birds of prey, which are smuggled from Iran. Salamanders are also among those items being smuggled. Even within Iran, there is a high level of buying and selling. The smuggling of the Lorestani salamander and its captivity in the Haft-Seen of some people has gradually decreased the population of this species in its ancient ecosystem. Alizadeh adds, "I don't think a population estimate has been made. But every year that passes, seeing or finding them becomes much harder." Efforts to preserve endangered species in Iran have recently intensified with a sixteen-fold increase in the fine for hunting the Persian leopard. But what could be the solution for increasing the population of the Lorestani salamander? Alizadeh mentions, "Many places are currently doing this. In our faculty, we had a project to capture snakes from nature for venom extraction and then kill them. Now one of our colleagues has developed a plan to breed snakes in captivity, extract their venom there, and keep them there, eliminating the need to capture them from nature. This plan has been successful and has been proposed to the Environmental Protection Organization and Razi Institute to implement it. Just as pond fish or goldfish and other animals that are in high demand can be bred in captivity, this can also be done. Breeding amphibians is somewhat difficult because, like snakes, they are cold-blooded, and their breeding and egg-laying readiness are severely affected by temperature changes and day and night length. We should start with other salamanders that do not have any uncertainties. Because for any work, permission must be obtained, but there is more sensitivity about it, and it may be difficult to get permission. Seeing a salamander or any animal in nature is much more enjoyable than keeping it in captivity at home." The soil of Iran was once home to species that today have left behind only a few photographs as memories. The Persian lion and the Caspian tiger are two examples of these species. Changing people's behavior and not buying the Lorestani salamander, preventing the smuggling of this species, and breeding it by environmental experts could turn this Nowruz into the beginning of saving this beautiful salamander from the brink of extinction.