Triturus vittatus cilicensis

[sergé]

Enclosed some pictures taken in the beginning of March of Triturus vittatus cilicensis from the Cukurova Delta, south of Adana, Turkey. These animals are the size of Common newts (Lissotriton vulgaris). They live in temporary winter rain filled pools, also used by Hyla savigny, Rana 'ridibunda', Bufo viridis.

Females

Habitat with my good friend Martijn van de Loo doing the dirty work ;-)

Male

Hyla savigny

 

[TJ]

Very nice photos.

Thanks for sharing those, Serge

 

[LeV]

Hello Sergé and anybody !

in one of your past post you've express the hypothesis that Ommatotriton vittatus cilicencis isn't really a dwarf species, and that his small reported size is in part due to the young age where breeding begin, about 1 year old.
I'd like to know if the cilicencis you described to be at the size of Lissotriton vulgaris came from the same place from where your others cilicencis originated, the ones you allready care for in 2003-2004 ? Were all the adults you and Martijn caught in 2006 at the size of Lissotriton vulgaris or was there some larger ones ? Did you bring back home some specimens from the Cukurova Delta to study their size evolution since then ? Did you notice size differences between separate cilicencis populations when you prospected in south Turkey ?

Make a lot of questions !

Vincent
from France

In the winter 2003-2004 my Triturus vittatus cilicensis from south Turkey bred, and juveniles that metamorphosed in March now already start with breeding! So barely one year old at a total length of 6,5 cm they are entering the water.
Like in southern populations of Triturus pygmaeus animals start at a small size with breeding. This leads to the idea that they are dwarf forms, which in fact they are not. To my opinion it is just a strategy to anticipate on breeding possibilities. Especially in those area's it does not rain enough every year, so they have to take very chance they have. These animals continue to grow however up to total sizes of 11-12 cm (see the pictures I placed on caudata central of the parents of this fellow).