Punctuated Triton

The punctuated triton or lobed ( Triturus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758) is a Amphibien Urodèle. It frequently meets in Central and Western Europe, until in Ukraine and Asia of the West.

Description

Like the majority of the tritons, the species presents a fort sexual Dimorphisme, especially during the period of reproduction, during which the adult male is easily recognizable. It resembles much the males of the species Triturus helveticus , with which one can sometimes confuse it. It raises a peak slightly corrugated, lobed, which is stretched along the back to the tail and finishes there at a peak. The tail of the male is decorated of an orange hem on its lower face. Its toes are webbed. Longitudinal dark bands run along the head, of the nostril to the neck, while passing above the eye. Its sides are decorated with great dark points, more marked often much than at T. helveticus . A criterion making it possible to differentiate the two species well is the observation of the belly, coloured out of yellow-orange with orange red sharp and generally mottled at vulgaris . In general, the throat carries also some spots. The male measures between 7 and 9 cm.

Whereas in general the female is often taller than the male in the kind Triturus , the punctuated triton has the appearance of an exception, since the female is a little smaller than the male. Uniformly brown, with sides deprived of spots, it very often merges with the female of the close species Triturus helveticus . The following characteristics, normally present in the female, can make it possible to make the difference:

female of punctuated triton : the throat is generally mottled (sometimes very pale), just like the medium of the belly, coloured out of yellow-orange with orange sharp. In general there is no white spot on the articulation of the posterior leg, and the lower face of this leg is seldom equipped with not very visible clear bearings. The cesspool has a generally sunk coloring.
female of webbed triton : the milky, pink throat with pale orange does not have spots, like the medium of the belly, which is of yellow color clearly with pale orange. The cesspool is blanchâtre. One frequently observes a clear spot on the articulation of the posterior leg, and the lower face of this same leg is often equipped with two bearings.

In Tessin the southernmost lobed triton, a subspecies of slightly different aspect lives. The peak of the male is narrower and noncorrugated, and its body less mottled.

Nomenclature and systematic

The Triturus vulgaris was described in 1758 by Linné. Since 2004, a proposal for a reorganization of the Triturus place this species under the name Lissotriton vulgaris , thus gathering the triton poncuté with Triturus boscai , T. italicus , T. montandoni and T. helveticus ) in the kind Lissotriton (Beautiful Thomas, 1839). No consensus not having appeared, the taxon Triturus vulgaris remains most current and more employed.

Subspecies

T. v. ampelensis (Fuhn, 1951) (Rumanian triton poncuté), in the north of the Romania,
T. v. dalmaticus (triton poncuté dalmatien)
T. v. graecus (Bolkay, 1927) (Greek triton punctuated), in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, islands Ionic, the Bulgaria, and whose males have a less undulated peak,
T. v. kosswigi (Freytag, 1955), spread along the south-western edges of Black Sea in Turkey; the males also have a peak less lobed than the majority of the other subspecies,
T. v. lantzi (Wolterstorff, 1914) (punctuated triton of the Caucasus), along the Eastern coasts of the Black Sea, and in the the Caucasus Western and central,
T. v. meridionalis (Boulenger, 1882) (southernmost punctuated triton), than one can meet in the canton of the Tessin in Suisse, Italy of north and Slovenia, whose peak of the male is narrower and noncorrugated like spp. graecus , and its body less mottled.
T. v. schreiberi (punctuated triton of Schreiber),
T. v. schmidtlerorum (Thorn & Raffaelli, 2000), widespread in the neighborhoods of the Western point of the Turkey; this subspecies is regarded as dwarf, and the adults reach maximum sizes of approximately 5 cm.
T. v. vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758); the nominal form can be met about in all the north-western territory of distribution of the species, in Central and Eastern Europe as far as Asia Mineure.

Behavior

Food

The punctuated triton nourishes Invertébré S, small Crustacé S, of Zooplancton, Daphnie S and also of Têtard S of Grenouille. They are also known to present tendencies Cannibale S.

Reproduction

See also: Amorce=Plus of information in the article, Triturus

Like the other members of the kind Triturus , the punctuated triton passes part of the year on the dry land, going in water only at the time of the reproduction. During this period the males develop the bridal characteristics of the species: peak notched along the back and of the tail, which becomes more coloured.

It spends the season of reproduction from February to June/July in water, period during which the male punctuated triton starts the bridal parade characteristic of the tritons: it is placed in front of the female and agitates the tail along its body, in direction of the female. By these movements, it diffuses towards the female of the Phéromone S secreted by dorsal and cloacal glands, with an aim of alluring the female.

At the end of the bridal parade, the male deposits on the bottom a Spermatophore, capsule including/understanding the Spermatozoïde S, that the female will collect by its Cloaque. The Fécondation will be then internal. The female will lay 100 to 300 eggs which hatch in Larve S (one does not speak about " têtards" , this term being reserved for the Anoura) at the end of approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Strictly watery at the beginning, the larvae are provided initially with Branchie S external often quite visible. They will acquerront during their development of the Poumon S, making it possible to the adults to live on the dry land. 6 to 9 weeks are necessary to the larvae in order to achieve the metamorphosis.

In the coldest zones, the larvae often spend the winter in water, and metamorphose themselves then the following year. They sexually become mature the second year, but certain individuals keep sometimes larval characteristics (phenomenon of “Néoténie”, relatively running to this species).

Geographical distribution

The punctuated triton is a basic species altitude, widespread in all the Europe central and Western until in Asia of the West, but is absent from Spain and the Portugal, and not very frequent or absent in the southern half of the France and the Italy. The distribution of the subspecies is given in the corresponding paragraph.

Predatory

Like its congeneric, the punctuated triton is the prey many animals, that it is during its larval life (large dytic, Dytique bordered, larvae of dragonfly S, but also of the Poisson S like the Truite, the Perche and the épinoche) or in an adult state (diurnal raptors or night, Mammifère S like the badger, or fox, etc)

Natural habitat

One especially meets it in wet forest habitats, pond S shone upon, rich in vegetation and being heated easily, such as the alluvial zones and the Low-marsh. The species is able to adapt to new habitats, and can be also found in basins, ponds or lately arranged ponds. Shaded and fresh water is as for them almost never occupied. The most favorable water levels have a rich person cover in watery plants, thus offering hiding-places and possibilities of laying. In comparison with the tritons webbed and crested, the lobed triton is more frequently present in interstitial waters, slightly current, where he seeks his food.

Statute of conservation and threats

Like very many species of Amphibians, the punctuated triton is protected in several countries. In France it is protected at the national level, and in Europe the species is protected by its inscription with appendix III from the convention from Bern for protection from the wild life in Europe.

The principal threats which weigh on this species are the same ones as for its congeneric: destruction or fragmentation of its natural habitats, pollution, introduction of invasive species.

See too

Amphibian
Triturus helveticus , with which one can often confuse it

External bonds

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