Calotriton

Calotriton
Pyrenean brook newt (Calotriton asper)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Salamandridae
Subfamily: Pleurodelinae
Genus: Calotriton
Gray, 1858
Type species
Hemitriton punctulatus
Dugès, 1852
Diversity
2 species (see text)

Calotriton, or the European brook newts, is a genus of newts native to the Pyrenees and central Catalonia (Catalan Pre-coastal Range). These amphibians were formerly placed within genus Euproctus, but the genus was resurrected in 2005. Instead of Euproctus, they seem more closely related to Triturus, their sister taxon.[1][2]

Evolution

Calotriton and Triturus are estimated to have split approximately 8 Mya ago. This may have been associated with adaptation to fast-running, well-oxygenated mountain streams (instead of ponds in Triturus), leading to some superficial similarity with Euproctus in convergent evolution: strongly depressed head and body, and reduction or even absence of lungs.[3]

Description

Calotriton are small- to medium-sized newts, 70–167 mm (2.8–6.6 in) in total length. Skin is covered with tubercles bearing horny tips, more so above than beneath, which can be completely smooth. Limbs are moderate, with four fingers and five toes. Body is rounded or slightly depressed. There is no cutaneous dorsal and caudal crest, not even during the breeding season. Tail is about as long as head and body and compressed from side; longer in females and deeper in males. Lungs are absent or very reduced.[3]

Species

There are two species:[1][4]

References

  1. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Calotriton Gray, 1858". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Gray, J.E. (1858). "Proposal to separate the family of salamandridae, Gray, into two families, according to the form of the skull". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 26: 136–144. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1858.tb06357.x.
  3. 1 2 Carranza, S.; Amat, F. (2005). "Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of Euproctus (Amphibia: Salamandridae), with the resurrection of the genus Calotriton and the description of a new endemic species from the Iberian Peninsula". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 145 (4): 555–582. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00197.x.
  4. ↑ "Salamandridae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

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