It is not known for certain about the existence of dragons, however, in Japan and China they still continue to believe in these mystical creatures, building huge arches in houses in order to meet them with honors and be fully prepared when mysterious creatures deign to fly to our Earth. One of the representatives of dragons existing in nature is considered to be the Asia Minor Newt. This is no accident, because the amphibian has a crest and a long tail. Many compare them with dragons, considering a reduced copy of the giants, however, with the absence of wings. The ancient Greeks endowed the newts with divine power, also reckoning them to mystical beings. In myths, amphibians were depicted as a half-fish, half-human, which was able to control the depths of the sea, pacify the waves and, conversely, cause a storm.
Best habitat and species history
The Asia Minor Triton belongs to the order of amphibians, which live in moisture in slowly flowing water bodies, most often shallow and not very warm. This type of tritons is considered a rare species of omatotritons, which are the closest relatives of the Near-Asian species of amphibians. These newts are representatives of the family of the real salamander. The preferred temperature of the water, in which the amphibian spends most of its long life, is about 20 degrees Celsius, and the best habitat where their colonies are settled is dense thickets and impenetrable forests. Going to land, hiding in dense grass, fallen trees or among stones, because he prefers a secluded lifestyle, and can easily become the prey of larger brothers. A distinctive feature of the Asia Minor Triton, among other representatives of the species, is the presence on the back of a crest from 4 to 5 cm high. It was this crest that dragon lovers and admirers ranked as similarities between amphibians and flying giants.
In which countries and regions can one meet a prominent representative of the salamander family?
If you answer the question about in which areas you can meet this unusual amphibian, then it is worth mentioning warm countries such as Turkey and Jordan, because there are the best living conditions for Asia Minor. However, a representative of the salamander family can also be seen in Russia: in the Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasus, Stavropol Territory, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. By the way, the Asia Minor Triton of the Krasnodar Territory is not so bright in color than its relatives, who live in hot Israel. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in the southern regions the newt does not hide for wintering, and in the more northern regions it goes into hibernation during the winter period, which sometimes lasts up to 6 months a year. In heat, amphibians remain active throughout the year. In our latitudes, the cycle of his life is slightly different: wintering the newt goes on land in October. It hides in the bark of trees or in animal burrows until March or until mid-May, depending on the onset of warming.
What does an amphibian look like with a crest on its back?
The Asia Minor Triton, the photo of which is shown above, is a small amphibian, reaching a length of only 12-14 cm along with its tail. Very rarely, males of this species can grow up to 17 cm, however this is the exception rather than the rule. After only three days from birth, the Asia Minor Triton can already swim, and by the end of the first week of life it can eat on its own. Like many species of animals and insects that exist in nature, males of newts have a brighter color than females, being bright representatives of the species. Body color is most often dark olive in a brown speck, and the tail on both sides is decorated with a symmetrical silver stripe. In females, such a strip is weakly expressed. The color of the belly of the newts is yellow, sometimes orange, less often red. Some males have black spots on their belly; females do not have such features. Young growth is distinguished by a pale color and a small amount of brown specks on the body. In general, the color of the newt can be used to judge its age and gender.
Life cycle
Amphibians breed in water, but spend a lot of time on land. Females of Asia Minor Triton can live for about 21 years, but males are not long-livers. Their life expectancy is only 12 years, and this is almost two times less than that of individuals of the opposite sex.
How does triton eat in water and how does it extract food on land?
The diet of Asia Minor Triton is quite diverse. In water, he feasts on mollusks, larvae, tadpoles, various aquatic insects and even eats small relatives. On land, for catching prey, it uses a tongue, with the help of which it extracts wood lice, worms, spiders.
