Danube crested newt

Danube crested newt
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Salamandridae
Subfamily:	Pleurodelinae
Genus:	Triturus
Species:	T. dobrogicus
Binomial name
Triturus dobrogicus (Kiritzescu, 1903)
Synonyms
Triton cristatus var. dobrogicus Kiritzescu, 1903 Molge macrosoma Boulenger, 1908 Triton cristatus danubialis Wolterstorff, 1923 Triton cristatus cristatus forma dobrogica Wolterstorff, 1923 Triton cristatus danubialis forma werneri Wolterstorff, 1923 Triturus cristatus danubialis Mertens, 1923 Triton (Neotriton) cristatus danubialis Bolkay, 1928 Triturus cristatus dobrogicus Mertens & Müller, 1928 Molge cristata danubialis forma smederevana Karaman, 1948 Triturus cristatus danubialis var. intermedia Fuhn, 1953 Triturus cristatus dobrogicus Mertens & Wermuth, 1960 Triturus dobrogicus Bucci-Innocenti, Ragghianti & Mancino, 1983 Triturus (Triturus) dobrogicus MacGregor, Sessions & Arntzen, 1990 Triturus dobrogicus dobrogicus Litvinchuk and Borkin, 2000 Triturus dobrogicus macrosomus Litvinchuk and Borkin, 2000 Triturus (Triturus) dobrogicus dobrogicus Dubois & Raffaëlli, 2009 Triturus (Triturus) dobrogicus macrosoma Dubois & Raffaëlli, 2009

External image

Danube crested newt photographs Source: CalPhotos database, retrieved 2015-08-12

The Danube crested newt or Danube newt (Triturus dobrogicus) is a species of newt found in central and eastern Europe, along the basin of the Danube river and some of its tributaries and in the Dnieper delta. It has a smaller and more slender body than the other crested newts in genus Triturus but like these, males develop a conspicuous jagged seam on back and tail during breeding season.

For half of the year or longer, adults live in slow-flowing river margins, lakes, or ponds, where reproduction takes place. Males perform a courtship display, and females lay around 200 eggs individually onto leaves of aquatic plants. Larvae develop two to four months in the water before reaching metamorphosis. For the remainder of the year, the newts live in shady land habitats, usually forests. Although not yet considered threatened, Danube crested newt populations have declined significantly, the reason being mainly habitat loss. The species is protected by law in the European Union.

The Danube crested newt was described as a variety of the northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus) by C. Kiritzescu in 1903. Later, it was considered a subspecies until genetic analysis supported its recognition as a separate species in the crested newt species complex. The northern crested newt is its likely sister species according to a molecular phylogenetic study based on ; analysis of nuclear DNA gives however some conflicting results regarding this sister relationship.

Separated populations from the Danube Delta and the Pannonian Basin (see Distribution and habitats) were described as two subspecies, T. dobrogicus dobrogicus and T. dobrogicus macrosoma, in 2000. Later genetic study, however, did not support the distinction of these two forms.

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