Danube crested newt

Description

The Danube crested newt is a rather graceful, slender newt compared to other crested newts. At 12-14 (males) or 13-16 cm (females) in total length, the species remains slightly smaller than the other crested newt species; in addition, its limbs are relatively short. The dorsal colouration is often brown rather than blackish with round, dark spots; males from the Danube Delta also show a brick-red dorsal colour. As in Triturus cristatus, there are some white spotted areas on the coarsely granulated flanks. Females sometimes have an orange-yellow longitudinal line on the back. The ventral side is orange-red to yolk-yellow and patterned with smaller, sharply defined dark spots, which may also merge to form longitudinal bands. The throat and the head area are grey to black and covered with white spots.

During the mating season, the males develop a particularly high, deeply serrated, flexible dorsal crest. At the root of the tail, this is separated from the skin edges of the ruddy tail, although not always as clearly as in other great crested newts. The dorsal and caudal crests are regressed in the terrestrial habitat.

Habitat

The Danube crested newt prefers terrestrial habitats with riparian forests and structurally rich forest edges near spawning waters. For breeding, the species needs standing waters with shallow zones, which are as free of fish as possible.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donau-Kammmolch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021