Greek smooth newt

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Greek smooth newt
Female (background) and male during breeding season
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Salamandridae
Genus: Lissotriton
Species:
L. graecus
Binomial name
Lissotriton graecus
Range (hatching indicates unclear contact zones with
L. schmidtleri
)
Synonyms[2]
15 synonyms
  • Triton vulgaris graeca Wolterstorff, 1906
  • Triton vulgaris intermedia Kolombatovic, 1907
  • Triton vulgaris graeca forma tomasinii Wolterstorff, 1908
  • Triton vulgaris graeca forma corcyrensis Wolterstorff, 1908
  • Triton meridionalis var. graeca Schreiber, 1912
  • Triton vulgaris graeca Wolterstorff, 1912
  • Triton meridionalis var. graeca forma tomasinii Schreiber, 1912
  • Triton vulgaris forma schreiberi Wolterstorff, 1914
  • Triton vulgaris forma schreiberi Wolterstorff, 1925
  • Triton (Palaeotriton) vulgaris graecus Bolkay, 1927
  • Triturus vulgaris graecus Mertens and Müller, 1928
  • Triturus vulgaris tomasinii Mertens and Müller, 1928
  • Triturus vulgaris schreiberi Mertens and Müller, 1940
  • Triturus meridionalis graeca Bodenheimer, 1944
  • Lissotriton (Lissotriton) (vulgaris) graecus Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2009

The Greek smooth newt or Greek newt (Lissotriton graecus) is a newt species found in the southern Balkans, from southern Croatia (Dalmatia) over Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia to Greece and south-westernmost Bulgaria.[3][4]: 234 

Willy Wolterstorff described the species in 1906 as Triton vulgaris graeca, a subspecies of the smooth newt.[1] After genetic data had suggested the smooth newt was a complex of distinct lineages,[5] Dubois and Raffaëlli, in 2009, recognised several subspecies, including the Greek smooth newt, as distinct species.[6] This was followed by subsequent authors.[2][3][7] Molecular phylogenetics suggested that the closest relative of the Greek smooth newt is Kosswig's smooth newt (Lissotriton kosswigi) from northwestern Anatolia.[7]

The species differs from other species in the smooth newt species complex mainly in the male secondary characters during breeding season.[3] The male dorsal crest is less than 1 mm high and has smooth edges. The belly has many small spots, but the lower tail fin is usually unspotted. The well-developed dorso-lateral folds give the body a square shape. Toe flaps on the hind feet are well developed.[4]: 234 

The species's

IUCN. Since its range is much smaller than that of the smooth newt species complex as a whole, it is likely to be more vulnerable than previously estimated. It has been negatively impacted by the introduction of fish.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Wolterstorff, W. (1906). "Über Triton vulgaris L. subsp. graeca". Zoologischer Anzeiger (in German). 29: 137–139.
  2. ^
    doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Archived from the original
    on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. ^
    doi:10.1163/15685381-17000128. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 28 April 2019.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9789004285620
    .
  5. S2CID 7484766
    .
  6. S2CID 85602660
    .
  7. ^
    PMID 28797693
    .


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