Females’ tails are longer than the rest of their body; those of males are much shorter, and sometimes display a whitish sheen during breeding season.

They are commonly found in man-made structures such as rice paddies, road-side ditches, and cattle waterholes.

The sword-tailed newt has no natural predators,[citation needed] thus deforestation and land development are the main causes of their endangerment.

[citation needed] Many of their breeding sites are in roadside ditches and gutters, and they are highly territorial, making it difficult to relocate them.

The populations of C. ensicauda have declined in recent years, especially as a result of habitat destruction due to land development.