Neurergus
| Neurergus | ||||||||||||
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Neurergus kaiseri |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Neurergus | ||||||||||||
| Cope , 1862 |
The genus Neurergus (in German about: Kurdish mountain brook newts ) belongs to the order of the tailed amphibians and inhabits areas in the Near East that partly coincide with the settlement area of the Kurdish people (eastern Turkey , northwestern Iran , northern Iraq ).
features
They are small to medium-sized (12 to a maximum of 19 centimeters long) tailed amphibians, which - similar to the European mountain newts ( Euproctus and Calotriton ) - prefer to stay in the vicinity and within mountain streams. Their trunk is cylindrical and the tail is longer than the rest of the body. The males form, unlike the water newts of the genus Triturus i. w. S., no skin ridges during the mating season, but only widening of the tail edges. Your sewer is spherical at this time. The color of the upper side is usually characterized by a dark (brown to black) basic color, which is interrupted by light, often yellowish dots or spots. The underside is mostly orange or red. The smallest species, the Zagros newt, also shows red parts on the extremities and as a longitudinal line on the back.
Species and subspecies
- Neurergus crocatus Cope, 1862 - Urmia Newt
- Neurergus kaiseri Schmidt, 1952 - Zagros pig
- Neurergus microspilotus (Nesterov, 1916)
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Neurergus strauchii (Steindachner, 1887) - Turkish mountain newt
- Neurergus strauchii strauchii
- Neurergus strauchii barani Öz, 1994
distribution
As far as known so far, the genus occurs in partially widely spaced and separate ( disjoint ) sub-areas of " Kurdistan ":
- Neurergus crocatus : Hikkari (Turkey), western Urmia Lake area (Iran) and northeast Iraq to Kirkuk .
- Neurergus kaiseri : southern Zagros in Lurestan , surroundings of the place Shah-Bazan (Iran).
- Neurergus microspilotus : western Zagros main ridge at the height of Paveh (Iran).
- Neurergus strauchii strauchii : western Lake Van area, Bitlis (Turkey). Neurergus strauchii barani : Kubbe Pass west of Malatya (Turkey). This represents the westernmost known occurrence of the genus.
Recently, several occurrences of N. strauchii were discovered between these areas, which had been described as disjoint for years. Their subspecies status remains open for the time being.
Habitat and way of life
N. strauchii, N. crocatus and N. microspilotus inhabit small, fish-free mountain streams and their immediate surroundings - biotopes that are mostly poor in vegetation. After the snow melts in spring, the streams are sought out for reproduction and left again after a few weeks. The salamanders then retreat deep into the surrounding rocky terrain to protect them from heat and dehydration. It is likely that summer, autumn and winter will be spent beneath the surface without interruption.
The courtship, mating and “handover” of the spermatophore (s) takes place on land in the immediate vicinity of the shore. Then the females attach the fertilized eggs to rough ground (stones, rocks) in the stream bed. The hatching larvae are aquatic and reach metamorphosis after about two months .
The cultural sequence of the genus that can be observed again and again is striking . Often, streams near the villages are surrounded by stone walls to prevent flooding, which apparently represent a favorable summer habitat for these amphibians. The supply of food (insects, arthropods, etc.) in the vicinity of human settlements is also likely to be higher than in the open countryside, mainly due to the livestock.
The Iranian species N. kaiseri colonizes a semi-arid area with very hot, precipitation-free summers. The Zagros newt is therefore dependent on underground brooks, which it only leaves in the winter months when it rains. Reproduction also occurs during this time, although this can also take place under the earth's surface. Little is known about the subterranean way of life of the genus, particularly of N. kaiseri . Findings about mating behavior, embryonic and larval development come mainly from terrarium observations.
Hazard and protection
Even the very small distribution areas increase the potential risk of extinction of the Neurergus species. The destruction of habitats or water pollution by agrochemicals ( pesticides etc.) and, increasingly, catches for the animal trade are assumed to be general hazard factors. Hydraulic interventions in rivers - for example dam projects, particularly in Eastern Turkey - threaten many Neurergus populations now and in the near future.
The IUCN classifies N. kaiseri with an estimated total population of less than 1000 adult specimens as “critically endangered” (threatened with extinction) - at the beginning of the 21st century, the population is said to have collapsed drastically by up to 80 percent within a few years currently only limited to four streams. The main reason given is the excessive catch for the pet trade in industrialized countries. In a more recent assessment, the IUCN even ranks them among the hundred most critically endangered species. N. microspilotus is also in the highest risk category . The other two species are rated as "vulnerable" (endangered).
According to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (BArtSchV) and the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG), Neurergus crocatus and Neurergus strauchii are "particularly protected".
At a species protection conference in Doha ( Qatar ) in March 2010, the participating states decided to include Neurergus kaiseri in Appendix I of the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (CITES), thereby fundamentally prohibiting global trade in wild-caught animals. Even before that, the export was illegal under Iranian law. "Lovers" and collectors in EU countries and Japan are said to have recently paid 300 euros for one of the rare Zagros newts. The amendments to the appendix decided in Doha - including the trade ban for the Zagros pig - became legally effective for the member states of the EU on August 15, 2010.
As a further species protection measure for Neurergus kaiseri , an ex situ breeding program was started at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita / Kansas in order to stabilize and increase the population. In addition, the Razi University in Iran may carry out an in-situ breeding program for this purpose, i.e. controlled breeding in the field.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Species portrait of Neurergus kaiseri near Amphibiaweb (Engl.)
- ^ IUCN information sheet, engl.
- ^ Neurergus in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species .
- ↑ Hit list for Neurergus at WISIA.de .
- ↑ Press release of the Federal Environment Ministry on the results of the species protection conference in Doha ( Memento of April 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).
- ^ Press release of the "Pro Wildlife" association on the Doha conference .
- ↑ WISIA.de (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) .
further reading
- G. Schultschik, S. Steinfartz: The salamandrids of Iran and notes on herpetofauna. In: Urodela-Info Bochum. Volume 9, 1996, pp. 13-14.
- S. Steinfartz , G. Schultschik: The genus Neurergus - fascinating mountain stream salamanders. In: Reptilia. Muenster. Volume 2, No. 6, 1997, pp. 39-48.
- JF Schmidtler: An overview of more recent investigations and observations on the Newt genus Neurergus Cope, 1862. In: Abh. Ber. Naturkde. Magdeburg. Volume 17, 1994, pp. 193-198.
- M. Sparreboom, S. Steinfartz, G. Schultschik: Courtship behavior of Neurergus (Caudata: Salamandridae). In: Amphibia-Reptilia. Volume 21, 2000, pp. 1-11.
