''Neurergus'' is a genus of

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

s, more specifically

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, in the family Salamandridae. They are found in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

(predominantly in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

), and are kept and bred in captivity for their bright colors. In nature, they inhabit streams and small rivers, and the surrounding

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s or shrublands. All of the ''Neurergus'' are considered threatened species, primarily due to destruction of habitat and overcollection for the pet trade.

Morphology

Generally, ''Neurergus'' species are dark-colored (brown to black) above, with a pattern of white to yellow to orange spots and lines. On their ventral sides, the lighter color of their spots becomes a solid color. Like most salamanders, they have five toes on their hind feet.

Species

Studies have demonstrated the genus ''Neurergus'' is monophyletic.Steinfartz, S.; Hwang, U. W.; Tautz, D.; Öz, M. and Veith, M. (2002) "Molecular Phylogeny of the Salamandrid Genus ''Neurergus'': Evidence for an Intrageneric Switch of Reproductive Biology" ''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 23: pp. 419-431, It contains these species:

References

External links

"Neurergus Cope, 1862"
''Salamanders of the Old World'',
"Neurergus (Cope, 1862)"
''Living Under World.Org, A Web Project about Amphibians''

photographs of ''Neurergus kaiseri'' Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope Amphibian genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Salamandridae-stub