Iranian Newt (Neurergus kaiseri)
- aka Luristan Newt
This species reaches 131 mm in total length, making it the smallest species of Neurergus. Endemic to Iran, in the southern Zagros Mountains. Known from only a few remote mountainous localities in Lorestan Province. Terrestrial habitat includes open woodlands. N. kaiseri is a stream-breeder, as are the other species in the genus.
Courtship takes place on land close to the water, with females entering the water to deposit eggs. The female deposits eggs singly in the water, on rough surfaces such as stones, away from the light but not always on the underside. The larvae metamorphose in about two months in the wild. Both the breeding period and larval development period are considerably shorter for N. kaiseri, which relies on water resources with unstable availability, than for the other Neurergus stream-breeding species…
(read more: AmphibiaWeb) (photo: Dr. RIchard Bartlett)
