Description
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Costal grooves well-developed, 11-12 on each side of the body. Body elongated and slender. Tail usually longer than body with head. Adults are able to autotomize and regenerate the tail. Coloration black, dark-brown or brown-orange with oval yellow dorsal and lateral spots arranged in two more or less regular rows. Belly brownish. The extent of the yellow spot development is subject to variation. In contrast to females, the males possess a spike-shaped protuberance on the dorsal surface of the tail base and nuptial pads on the forelegs which are best developed during the breeding season. Mertensiella caucasica displays a high extent of morphological and, probably, genetic polymorphisms. In particular, specimens from Mtirala Mountain near Batumi Town, Georgia, have light, earthworm-like coloration and spots are reduced. There are also some altitudinal variations in the salamander morphometrics, including coloration, body proportions, etc.The two species in the genus Mertensiella, M. caucasica and M. luschani, are not sister taxa based on molecular sequence data. Some authors recommend including M. luschani in the genus Salamandra, while M. caucasica is more closely related to Chioglossa lusitanica. See Titus and Larson (1995) and Veith et al. (1998) for phylogenetic analyses and discussion.
- Bannikov, A. G., Darevsky, I. S., Ishchenko, V. G., Rustamov, A. K. and Szczerbak, N. N. (1977). Opredelitel Zemnovodnykh i Presmykayushchikhsya Fauny SSSR. Prosveshchenie, Moscow.
- Bohme, W., Grossenbacher, K., and Thiesmeier, B. (1999). Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas: Schwanzlurche 1. Aula Verl, Wiesbaden.
- Darevsky, I. S. and Polozhikhina, V. F. (1966). ''On the reproduction biology of the salamander Mertensiella caucasica (Waga).'' Zoologichesky Zhurnal, 45(3).
- Greven, H. and Thiesmeier, B., eds. (1994). Biology of Salamandra and Mertensiella (Mertensiella Supplement 4). DGHT, Bonn.
- Klewen, R. (1988). Die Landsalamander Europas, Teil I, Die Gattungen Salamandra und Mertensiella. A.Ziemsen, Wittenberg Lutherstadt.
- Titus, T.A., and Larson, A. (1995). ''A molecular phylogenetic perspective on the evolutionary radiation of the salamander family Salamandridae.'' Systematic Biology, 44, 125-151.
- Veith, M., Steinfartz, S., Zardoya, R., Seitz, A., and Meyer, A. (1998). ''A molecular phylogeny of 'true' salamanders (family Salamandridae) and the evolution of terrestriality of reproductive modes.'' Journal of Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 36, 7-16.
- author
- Sergius L. Kuzmin
- author
- Meredith J. Mahoney
Distribution and Habitat
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The salamander is found in Western Georgia and adjacent parts of Turkey. In Georgia, it inhabits the western spurs of the Trialeti Mountain Ridge, Meskhetian and Lazistanian ridges. The range margin runs eastwards approximately along the line Batumi Town - Kintrishi and Borzhomi District - Nedzura River, then south-westwards to Abastumani Town - Goderdzi Mountain Pass. In Turkey, the most south-western localities are Rize, Gunugoren, Tutuncu, and Giresun. The species lives mainly in the beech, coniferous, and mixed forests, in the subalpine belt and in alpine meadows. The salamander tends to avoid large streams and lives mainly near the 2nd through 4th order tributaries of rivers, usually no more than 1-1.5 m in width and about 20-30 cm in depth in spring. Such brooks flow in dense shade and their banks are covered with dense arboreal and herbaceous vegetation. Summer water temperatures are about 12ºC, and increase from a brook's source to its mouth. Postmetamorphic salamanders live in very wet conditions on stream banks in places with seepages, under stones, logs, snags, and roots. They also occur in the forest at long distances from the water, up to 200-300 m.
- author
- Sergius L. Kuzmin
- author
- Meredith J. Mahoney
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
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Mertensiella caucasica is a rare species with uneven spatial distribution. In suitable places, numerous individuals may be encountered. Maximum density is observed in places where there are logs and wooden blocks, combined with stone conglomerations, and a lot of small pools and shelters under tree roots. However, elsewhere, even in "visibly suitable" habitats, the salamander is absent. Such local populations inhabit relatively small plots, from 200-500 m along stream banks with the maximum concentration of sites suitable for shelter and reproduction. The larvae are more frequent in the headwaters of streams, probably because salamanders reproduce there. Sometimes the larvae drift downstream and occur in shallow swampy puddles. As in the majority of other brook salamanders, M. caucasica prefers cool conditions, probably about 15 -18ºC. According to data collected from medium elevations (Borjomi District of Georgia), the first active adults appear in early May and the last ones in September. Evidently, this reflects the start and the end of hibernation. However, in the warmest region (Batumi District of Georgia) and in highlands the hibernation period may be different. Breeding occurs in the late spring - summer. The reproductive behavior is generally similar to that of Salamandra salamandra. Mating occurs on land or in water. The spike on the male's tailbase probably has no special role in courtship and amplexus. The interval from copulation to egg deposition varies from 3 days to 2 months. The only clutch (or few clutches?) found in nature contained 92 eggs and was deposited on leaves and other submerged plants in a small hole in a stream bottom. Probably, newly hatched larvae stay in their hatching places before the next spring and then appear in streams. The development from fertilized egg to completed metamorphosis seems to take about 2 to 4 years. Metamorphosis evidently occurs throughout the summer. Larvae prey on stream invertebrates, Gammaridae, and larval insects. Adults eat mainly terrestrial invertebrates: Oniscidae, Arachnoidea and insects (Coleoptera, larval Diptera, etc.).
- author
- Sergius L. Kuzmin
- author
- Meredith J. Mahoney
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Overall situation with this species is unclear, but declines of some populations are documented.
- author
- Sergius L. Kuzmin
- author
- Meredith J. Mahoney
Relation to Humans
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Anthropogenic alteration of habitat is one of the main threats for M. caucasica. Destruction of forests (tree felling), the use of the salamander brooks as roads for the transportation of cut trees and destruction of habitats by cattle are known as causes of population declines. In general, this species avoids the human neighborhood and its populations do not live in anthropogenically altered landscapes.
- author
- Sergius L. Kuzmin
- author
- Meredith J. Mahoney
Caucasian salamander
provided by wikipedia EN
The Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica) is a species of stream-dwelling salamander in the family Salamandridae. This is a salamander of medium size, with a thin, elongated body. It is a relict species, endemic to the south-western Caucasus, in Georgia and Turkey. The subspecies M. c. janashvilii[2] is found at Mt. Mtirala near Batumi and probably along the Black Sea coast.
Habitat, behavior and diet
The Caucasian salamander lives along the banks of mountain brooks and small rivers with fast currents, both in the forest belt and above timberline, up to about 2400 m above sea level.[3][4][5][6][7] The species is secretive and strictly nocturnal, and mates on land. The male uses the protuberance on the upper side of the tail for opening the female's cloaca and passes the spermatophore directly to the female.[8][9] Their diets consist of invertebrates living in soil or shallow water; an important part of the diet is amphipods.[10][11]
Reproduction
Sexual dimorphism is expressed by presence of a horn-like protuberance at the upper side of the male's tail, a characteristic recorded only in this species and Luschan's salamander; for this reason, these two species were, for a long time, unified in the same genus, Mertensiella.[12] The two species have also been compared in terms of their anatomical similarities with the Caucasian salamander having a smaller skull and a short scapula. It additionally has a short median suture on its puboischium compared to Luschan's salamander. [13] Mating happens in the summer. the female deposits 10–25 large eggs (0.5 mm in diameter) in hidden places in shallow water or in moist places near brooks.[1][8][9] The larvae hatch in one to two months and hibernate one to three times before metamorphosis.[14]
Evolution
In spite of external similarity with Luschan's salamander (protuberance on the tail), molecular data suggest the closest relative of M. caucasica is the gold-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) from the north-western Iberian Peninsula.[1][15] Separation from the sister taxon happened about 15 million years ago.[16] A palaeontological species M. caucasica was found from the lower Pliocene of the Polish Carpathians, the fact suggesting a broader distribution of the species before the Ice Age.[17] Within the current range of the species, two evolutionary lineages are fully separated since the Pliocene: one from the Black Sea Basin, and another from Borjomi Gorge in Central Georgia, in spite of the absence of clear natural boundaries between these two areas.[18]
Threats
The salamander hardly has important natural enemies. The most important factor affecting it is habitat loss, caused by extensive logging in Georgia and construction works in Turkey. Large parts of the habitat of the salamander are not covered by any kind of protected areas.[1][7]
Subspecies
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M. c. caucasica (Waga, 1876)
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M. c. djanaschvilii (Tartarachvili and Bakradze, 1989)
References
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^ a b c d Ugur Kaya, Boris Tuniyev, Natalia Ananjeva, Nikolai Orlov, Theodore Papenfuss, Sergius Kuzmin, David Tarkhnishvili, Sako Tuniyev, Max Sparreboom, Ismail Ugurtas, Steven Anderson (2009). "Mertensiella caucasica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T13198A3418986. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T13198A3418986.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
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^ Tartarashvili, R.V.; Bakradze, M.A. (1989). "New subspecies of the Caucasian salamander". Bull. Acad. Sci. Of Georgia. 133 (1): 177–179.
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^ Nikolsky, A. M. (1896). "Caucasian salamander (Salamandra caucasica Waga)". Ann. Zool. Mus. Imp. Acad. Sci. 3: 220–223.
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^ Franzen, M. (1999) Mertensiella caucasica (Waga, 1876) – Kaukasus-Salamander. Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Band 4/1. Schwanzlurche (Urodela). Grossenbacher, K.G. and Thiesmeier, B. (eds.) 1:329–366. Aula Verlag. Wiesbaden
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^ Tarkhnishvili, D.N.; Gokhelashvili, R.K. (1999). "The amphibians of the Caucasus". Advances in Amphibian Research in the Former Soviet Union. 4: 1–229.
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^ Georgia's Biodiversity Database: Mertensiella caucasica. Biodiversity-georgia.net. Retrieved on 2013-01-03.
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^ a b Tarkhnishvili D, Kaya U. (2009) Status and Conservation of the Caucasian Salamander (Mertensiella caucasica) Archived 2012-03-01 at the Wayback Machine. pp. 157–165 In: Zazanashvili, N., Mallon, D. (eds), Status and Protection Of Globally Threatened Species In The Caucasus.
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^ a b Schultschik, G. (1994). "Zur Fortpflanzungbiologie von Mertensiella caucasica (Waga, 1876) (Urodela: Salamandridae)". Abh. Ber. Naturk. 17: 163–175.
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^ a b Tarkhnishvili, D.N.; Serbinova, I.A. (1993). "The ecology of the Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica Waga) in a local population" (PDF). Asiatic Herpetological Research. 5: 147–165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
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^ Ekvtimishvili, Z.S. (1948). "Feeding of Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica Waga)". Proc. Inst. Zool. Of Georgian Acad. Sci. 8: 239–245.
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^ Kuzmin, SL (1992). "Feeding ecology of the Caucasian Salamander (Mertensiella caucasica), with comments on life history". Asiatic Herpetol. Res. 4: 123–131.
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^ Wolterstorff, W. (1936). "Beitrage zur Kenntnis des Kaukasussalamanders (Mertensiella caucasica Waga)". Zoologischer Anzeiger. 116 (1–2): 1–13. Archived from the original on 2013-02-21.
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^ Özeti, Neclâ (1967). "The Morphology of the Salamander Mertensiella luschani ( Steindachner ) and the Relationships of Mertensiella and Salamandra". American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists ( ASIH ): 287–298.
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^ Tarkhnishvili, D. N.; Gokhelashvili, R. K. (1994). "Preliminary data of the age structure of a Mertensiella caucasica population". Mertensiella. 4: 327–334.
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^ Veith, Michael; Steinfartz, Sebastian (2004). "When non-monophyly results in taxonomic consequences—the case of Mertensiella within the Salamandridae (Amphibia: Urodela)" (PDF). Salamandra. 40: 67–80. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-21.
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^ Veith, M.; Steinfartz, S.; Zardoya, R.; Seitz, A. & Meyer, A. (1998). "A molecular phylogeny of 'true' salamanders (family Salamandridae)and the evolution of terrestriality of reproductive modes". J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 36 (1–2): 7–16. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.1998.tb00774.x.
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^ Borja Sanchiz, F.; Mlynarski, M. (1979). "Pliocene salamandrids (Amphibia, Caudata) from Poland". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 24 (4): 175–188.
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^ Tarkhnishvili, D.N.; Thorpe, R.S. & Arntzen, J.W. (2000). "Pre-Pleistocene refugia and differentiation between populations of the Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 14 (3): 414–422. doi:10.1006/mpev.1999.0718. PMID 10712846.
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Caucasian salamander: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
The Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica) is a species of stream-dwelling salamander in the family Salamandridae. This is a salamander of medium size, with a thin, elongated body. It is a relict species, endemic to the south-western Caucasus, in Georgia and Turkey. The subspecies M. c. janashvilii is found at Mt. Mtirala near Batumi and probably along the Black Sea coast.
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