''Calotriton'', or the European brook newts, is a genus of

newt A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqua ...

s native to the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

and central

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

( Catalan Pre-coastal Range). These amphibians were formerly placed within genus ''

Euproctus ''Euproctus'', the European mountain salamanders, is a genus of salamanders in the family Salamandridae from Sardinia and Corsica. Species There are two species: The Pyrenean brook salamander used to be included in this genus as ''Euproctus a ...

'', but the genus was resurrected in 2005. Instead of ''

'', they seem more closely related to ''

Triturus ''Triturus'' is a genus of newts comprising the crested and the marbled newts, which are found from Great Britain through most of continental Europe to westernmost Siberia, Anatolia, and the Caspian Sea region. Their English names refer to thei ...

'', their

sister taxon In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

Evolution

''Calotriton'' and ''Triturus'' are estimated to have split approximately 8 myr ago. This may have been associated with adaptation to fast-running, well-oxygenated mountain streams (instead of ponds in ''Triturus''), leading to some superficial similarity with ''Euproctus'' in

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...

: strongly depressed head and body, and reduction or even absence of lungs.

Description

''Calotriton'' are small- to medium-sized newts, in total length. Skin is covered with tubercles bearing horny tips, more so above than beneath, which can be completely smooth. Limbs are moderate, with four fingers and five toes. Body is rounded or slightly depressed. There is no cutaneous dorsal and caudal crest, not even during the breeding season. Tail is about as long as head and body and compressed from side; longer in females and deeper in males. Lungs are absent or very reduced.

Species

There are two species:

References

* Andreas Nöllert & Christel Nöllert: ''Die Amphibien Europas''. – Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart, 1992.

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2668598 Newts Amphibians of Europe Amphibian genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray