QUICK INDEX

Triturus

T. anatolicus, Anatolian Crested Newt

Triturus carnifex, Italian Crested Newt

Triturus cristatus, Great Crested Newt

Triturus dobrogicus, Danube Crested Newt

Triturus ivanbureschi, Balkan Crested Newt

Triturus karelinii, Southern Crested Newt

Triturus macedonicus, Macedonian Crested Newt

Triturus marmoratus, Marbled Newt

Triturus pygmaeus, Pygmy Newt

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

Triturus

T. anatolicus

Anatolian Crested Newt

T. carnifex

Italian/Alpine Crested Newt [D Alpen-Kammolch]

Austria, N.Yug, Italy

In contrast to some or all of the other species, the Alpine Crested Newt spends all the year in water.

T. cristatus

Crested Newt [Fr Triton cr?? D Kammmolch]

England, Scotland, central Europe from France to Urals, S. Scandinavia to Alps

18-20 cm

The Crested Newt is the largest European newt and is widely distributed. It is also the most aquatic, being found in still- or slow water at low altitude and sometimes at much higher altitudes. Colouring is similar to the Alpine Newt, but males have much more prominent crests while females have none. The Crested Newt lives on aquatic insects and gastropods, but will also attack the larvae of other amphibians and other adult newts. The terrestrial phase is not nearly as long as that of other European newts and covers the hibernation period. In captivity Crested Newts can live for up to 20 years. A number of subspecies (carnifex, dobrogicus and karelinii) formerly belonging to this species have all been raised to full species level. No fronto-squamosal arch ; frontals wifcliout or witli very indistinct

orbital processes. Palatine teeth, in two nearly straight

parallel series, commencing on a line with the choanae, or a little in

front of these ; the series generally approximating in front, but

very seldom uniting. Tongue small, elliptic, the lateral borders

free. Head as long as broad, or a little longer ; its length contained

about four times in the female, thrice and a fourth to thrice

and a half in the male, in the length of the body ; the greatest

width of head at angles of jaws ; snout rounded, very convex

labial lobes much developed during the breeding-season. Body

rounded ; a very high deeply-toothed dorsal crest in the breeding

male, commencing between the eyes, abruptly sinking on pelvic

region ; a longitudinal groove in the female. Limbs moderate

;

fingers and toes free, depressed, rather slender in the male, shorter

in the female ; two small carpal and tarsal tubercles, the inner frequently

indistinct. Tail as long as, or a little shorter than, head

and body, ending in a point, strongly compressed during the

breeding-season, and with an upper and lower crest, the former

being very high,, and generally denticulated in the male. Skin

more or less strongly tuberculate above and beneath ; head and

parotoid region with distinct pores ; a series of pores between axilla

and groin ; a strong gular fold. Brown, blackish, or oUve above,

with more or less distinct black spots ; sides with white punctulation

; the breeding male's head elegantly marbled with black and

white ; female sometimes with a yellow vertebral line ; orange

beneath, spotted or marbled with black ; fingers and toes yeUow,

with black annuli ; breeding male with a sUvery-white band along

the side of the tail ; female with the lower edge of the tail orange,

immaculate.

Mention should also be made of the intermediate form T. cristatus x T. marmoratus, described by Boulenger as Molge blasii. It is now recognised as an interspecific hybrid. This form is intermediate between, and perhaps a hybrid of, M.

cristata and marmorata. Some specimens approach the former;

others (and such are those in the British Museum) are nearer the

latter.

Description: fronto-squamosal arch ligamentous ; frontals with orbital processes. Palatine teeth forming a ^. Proportions of head and body intermediate between the two last-named species. Dorsal crest high, toothed. Green above, spotted or marbled ^mbrown ;

sides, and sometimes lower surfaces, with white punctulapon ; female

generally with an orange vertebral line ; orange or ^IfWnish orange

beneath, spotted with black ; breeding male wjth 'a silvery-white

band along the side of the tail.

[SOURCE: Boulenger]

T. dobrogicus

Danube Crested Newt [Fr Triton cr??du Danube: D Donau- Kammolch]

Mainly Danube valley and its drainages: Austria (from W of Linz), S Czech, Hungary as far east as Ukrainian Carpathians, south to E former Yugoslavia, S Romania and N Bulgaria: also Danube delta in Romania and Moldavia

m.12cm f 13cm

T. ivanbureschi

Balkan Crested Newt

T. karelinii

Southern/Balkan Crested Newt [D Balkan- Kammolch]

E. Balkans, Crimea, Asia Minor, N. Iran

18-20 cm

Description: palatine series meeting in front, sometimes forming a ^. Head larger; snout broader, more depressed. Body shorter (generally 15 praesacral vertebrae against 16 or 17 in M. cristata typus). Upper surfaces lighter, generally greenish; a yellowish vertebral line constant in the female. [SOURCE: Boulenger]

T. macedonicus

Macedonian Crested Newt

T. marmoratus

Marbled Newt [Fr Triton marbr? D Marmormolch]

SW France, Iberia

5-6"

Another popular vivarium subject owing to its beautiful appearance. The green dorsal body colouring is broken up by black "marbling", while the ventral surface is grey. Both sexes also acquire a red dorsal stripe running from neck to tip of the tail in the terrestrial phase of their lives, which the females retain also during the aquatic phase. In the aquatic phase males also acquire a dorsal crest and a silver stripe in the tail which also grows a low dorsal fin. Mating takes place during the short breeding season in slow or moving water, but thereafter the Marbled Newt spends its life on dry ground. Like the axolotl, Marbled Newts have the power of regenerating missing organs. Description: fronto-squamosal arch ligamentous; frontals with distinct orbital processes. Palatine teeth in two series converging towards front, forming a ^, commencing on a line with the choanae. Tongue small, elliptic, free along the sides. Head about as long as broad: its length contained about thrice in the male, about thrice and a half in the female, in the length of the body; the greatest width of head at eyes; snout broad, rounded, depressed; labial lobes well developed during the breeding-season. Body rounded; breeding male with an elevated straight-edged dorsal crest abruptly sinking on pelvic region; a longitudinal groove in the female. Limbs moderate; fingers and toes free, depressed, rather slender in the male, shorter in the female: carpal and tarsal tubercles very indistinct. Tail as long as, or a little longer than, head and body, ending in a point, strongly compressed during the breeding-season, and with an upper and lower crest. Skin more or less strongly tuberculate above and beneath; head and parotoid region with distinct pores; a series of pores between axilla and groin; a strong gular fold. Green above, marbled with black; dorsal and upper caudal crest with vertical, alternately black and white bars; female with an orange vertebral line; a silvery-white band along the side of the tail, most distinct in the breeding male; fingers and toes green, with black annuli; lower surfaces brown or greyish, with more or less distinct darker spots, punctulated with white. (This punctulation is absent in specimen i, the lower surfaces being beautifully black and-white marbled.) [SOURCE: Boulenger]

T. pygmaeus

Pygmy Newt

S Portugal, SW Spain

<12cm/4" TL