Knobby newts (also called crocodile newts) are a newt genus comprising about 20 known species living in the mountains of East Asia. Many of them are only found in very small areas – the red-tailed knobby newt in particular is only known to occur in a mountain area in Southwestern China, at an altitude of approx. 2,000 m. These sizable newts, measuring up to 20 cm, live on land and only head for water in order to spawn.