TheBalkan crested newtorBuresch's crested newt(Triturus ivanbureschi) is anewtspecies of the crested newtspecies complexin genusTriturus, found in Southeastern Europe andAnatolia.[2]
It was originally described as asubspeciesof thesouthern crested newt, "Triturus karelinii arntzeni", in 1999,[3]and later considered a full species when genetic data showed it to be distinct.[4]After it was suggested thetype specimenof "T. arntzeni" belonged in fact to theMacedonian crested newt(T. macedonicus), the species was redescribed, with a new type specimen, asT. ivanbureschiin 2013. Thespecies epithetwas chosen in honour of Bulgarian herpetologistIvan Buresh.[2]
Its distribution ranges from the Southeastern Balkan peninsula (WesternMacedonia, NorthwesternGreece,Bulgaria,Eastern Thrace) to Western Anatolia. An isolated population, surrounded by other crested newt species, occurs inSerbia.[2]Genetic data showed that Northern Anatolian populations east of theBosphorusandBursaform a separate, but morphologically indistinguishablesibling species, which was described asAnatolian crested newt(T. anatolicus) in 2016.[5]
The Balkan crested newthybridiseswith the Anatolian crested newt at its eastern range end.[5]At the western and northern borders, it hybridises with the Macedonian crested newt, theDanube crested newt(T. dobrogicus), and thenorthern crested newt(T. cristatus).[6]The type specimen of "T. arntzeni" is in fact a hybrid between the Balkan and the Macedonian crested newt, so that this name is a synonym for both species.[7]
The Balkan crested newt or Buresch's crested newt (Triturus ivanbureschi) is a newt species of the crested newt species complex in genus Triturus, found in Southeastern Europe and Anatolia.[2]
It was originally described as a subspecies of the southern crested newt, "Triturus karelinii arntzeni", in 1999,[3] and later considered a full species when genetic data showed it to be distinct.[4] After it was suggested the type specimen of "T. arntzeni" belonged in fact to the Macedonian crested newt (T. macedonicus), the species was redescribed, with a new type specimen, as T. ivanbureschi in 2013. The species epithet was chosen in honour of Bulgarian herpetologist Ivan Buresh.[2]
Its distribution ranges from the Southeastern Balkan peninsula (Western North Macedonia, Northwestern Greece, Bulgaria, Eastern Thrace) to Western Anatolia. An isolated population, surrounded by other crested newt species, occurs in Serbia.[2] Genetic data showed that Northern Anatolian populations east of the Bosphorus and Bursa form a separate, but morphologically indistinguishable sibling species, which was described as Anatolian crested newt (T. anatolicus) in 2016.[5]
The Balkan crested newt hybridises with the Anatolian crested newt at its eastern range end.[5] At the western and northern borders, it hybridises with the Macedonian crested newt, the Danube crested newt (T. dobrogicus), and the northern crested newt (T. cristatus).[6] The type specimen of "T. arntzeni" is in fact a hybrid between the Balkan and the Macedonian crested newt, so that this name is a synonym for both species.[7]
The Balkan crested newt or Buresch's crested newt (Triturus ivanbureschi) is a newt species of the crested newt species complex in genus Triturus, found in Southeastern Europe and Anatolia.
It was originally described as a subspecies of the southern crested newt, "Triturus karelinii arntzeni", in 1999, and later considered a full species when genetic data showed it to be distinct. After it was suggested the type specimen of "T. arntzeni" belonged in fact to the Macedonian crested newt (T. macedonicus), the species was redescribed, with a new type specimen, as T. ivanbureschi in 2013. The species epithet was chosen in honour of Bulgarian herpetologist Ivan Buresh.
Its distribution ranges from the Southeastern Balkan peninsula (Western North Macedonia, Northwestern Greece, Bulgaria, Eastern Thrace) to Western Anatolia. An isolated population, surrounded by other crested newt species, occurs in Serbia. Genetic data showed that Northern Anatolian populations east of the Bosphorus and Bursa form a separate, but morphologically indistinguishable sibling species, which was described as Anatolian crested newt (T. anatolicus) in 2016.
The Balkan crested newt hybridises with the Anatolian crested newt at its eastern range end. At the western and northern borders, it hybridises with the Macedonian crested newt, the Danube crested newt (T. dobrogicus), and the northern crested newt (T. cristatus). The type specimen of "T. arntzeni" is in fact a hybrid between the Balkan and the Macedonian crested newt, so that this name is a synonym for both species.
