Alpine newts pictures - Fotografie Tritone alpino

The Alpine Newt Complex

Alpine newts are currently split up into ten different subspecies. Only three subspecies are regularly available in captivity, almost of an entirely captive-bred derivation;

The nominate form - the Alpine newt (Triturus alpestris alpestris) possesses the widest range, from Denmark, the Benelux countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland), to northern Greece and eastern Russia. This 9 - 12.7cm (3.53 - 5in) newt’s dorsal coloration varies from drab brown in females to a beautiful marbled arrangement of iridescent blue mottling in males. Females also tend to have a granular skin texture as opposed the velvety texture of males. The underside varies from a yellow-orange in females to a deep blood-red orange in males and speckles are completely absent. During courtship males develop a low (1? - 2mm) crest consisting of sequential yellow and black bars.

Northern Italy is inhabited by the Italian Alpine (T.a.apuanus) which at a maximum of 10cm is smaller than the nominate form. It is also more aquatic than T.a.alpestris often spending the entire year in cool ponds. Females are larger and duller than males possessing flaccid folds of skin on the head, abdomen and limbs. Dorsal color is dull brown with black blotches along the flanks where the venter is a tangerine hue, In contrast males are slim, elegant and the most attractive Alpine newt when in courtship (which is most of the year). Their dorsal colours comprise of opalescent silver and blue mottling with sky blue along the lower flanks. At the edges of the vivid orange venter (which is heavily spotted on the throat) is a band of silvery white with black speckling (which extends to the head, legs and cloaca). The lemon-colored crest is 2 - 3mm high with uniform black zigzags. The tail also shows heavy blue and black blotched cresting. Even the eyes do not escape transformation, enlarging and turning gold.
text by http://www.amphibian.co.uk/alpine.html

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