Caucasian mud diver
| Caucasian mud diver | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pelodytes caucasicus | ||||||||||||
| Boulenger , 1896 |
The Caucasian parsley frog ( Pelodytes caucasicus ) is a Caucasus common, delicate Froschlurch and forms one of six species of the genus parsley frog ( Pelodytes ). From this in turn exclusively the family Pelodytidae consists.
features
Body length up to 6 cm. The back of the males is light to medium brown in color during the mating season, the belly whitish or cream-colored with irregular light spots. The females have a reddish-brown back with a light, cross-shaped spot. The belly has a yellowish tint in the back. When it is bright, the animals have perpendicular-oval pupils. The body is flattened and the back is covered with warts that are usually arranged in parallel longitudinal stripes. The webbed toes are only designed as narrow hems. The larvae are up to 6.7 cm long. The spawn consists of several short (6 to 13 cm long) sausage-shaped gelatinous masses in which the eggs are arranged irregularly and which are attached to plant stems or branches.
distribution
From the western part of the Caucasus along the eastern Black Sea region to the northeasternmost tip of Turkey .
habitat
From sea level to northeastern Turkey 1900 m above sea level. Mainly in dark, moist coniferous and mixed forests of the mountains. The species avoids areas with less than 1000 mm annual precipitation. The spawning waters are shaded, often slowly flowing through ponds and ponds with clear water, which are in the immediate vicinity of the mountain streams. Sometimes spawning takes place in small puddles.
Way of life
The hibernation lasts from November to March. The sexually mature animals then go to the spawning waters. The mating calls of the males are short, creaky calls, two of which, but mostly three, follow each other rhythmically. The males usually call at the beginning of the night. The breeding season begins late, often in June, and lasts until August / September. A female lays up to 1000 eggs per season. The larvae often overwinter if they have not developed by winter. The diet of the Caucasian mud diver consists mainly of insects, especially beetles. In addition, snails, earthworms and spiders are preyed on. Enemies include the grass snake or water shrew , the larvae are of band newts and trout eaten.
Danger
The species is not endangered. It is locally common on the southern flank of the Caucasus, but less common on the north side. Overall, it is more common in the North Caucasus than in Transcaucasia .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dieter Glandt: The amphibians and reptiles of Europe: All kinds in portrait. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-494-01581-1 .
- ↑ https://amphibiaweb.org/species/5265
literature
- Dieter Glandt: The amphibians and reptiles of Europe: All kinds in portrait. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-494-01581-1 .
- Spartak Litvinchuk, Artem Kidov: Distribution and conservation status of the Caucasian parsley frog, Pelodytes caucasicus (Amphibia: Anura). In: Nature Conservation Research. Volume 3, Supplement 1, 2018, pp. 51-60, doi: 10.24189 / ncr.2018.053 .
