What do you think the odds are that banded newts aren't extinct in Jordan?

Title says it all, do you think that there is a population of these guys left, or am I wasting my time just asking?

I just did a bit of reading about the native range of O. vittatus and it looks like they are restricted to the very north western part of Jordan. I did not read anything that indicated that they had been extirpated from Jordan but it does look like they have a very small and isolated range there. Good luck, would love to see pictures if you find any.

It said that this species and the eastern spade-foot toad were both extinct. It would be great if they weren't, now I really want to go herping! Here's one of the articles: http://www.google.jo/url?sa=t&rct=j...zB_GNFwEQJ8TsoQqRgwDdg&bvm=bv.106923889,d.bGg

Questionable presence does not necessarily mean extinct. Isolated populations could persist or perhaps the range was mis identified and they never existed there in the first place. Hard to say, especially with caudates where there is not a huge scientific body of work and a limited amount of people working within the field.

I would say you are in a needle and haystack situation as far as finding them in the wild.

the last found in jordan was in 1987, in israel you can't take them cause all the amphibian are protected by law, in syria its impossible search them cause the war (there are a pond with ommatotriton near the krak des chevaliers), about lebanon i don't know any data or law about them but probably there are ommatotriton v. vittatus, about turkey its a country full of all the type of ommatotriton and they are not protected and you can buy them for 4$.
In turkey you can find the southern banded newt in the Antioch region (currently called Antakya) and in the ancient region of cilicia and teluch you can find the ommatotriton ciliciensis (nord of antioch) and in the rest of turkey the Northern banded newt.

otolith said:

Questionable presence does not necessarily mean extinct. Isolated populations could persist or perhaps the range was mis identified and they never existed there in the first place. Hard to say, especially with caudates where there is not a huge scientific body of work and a limited amount of people working within the field.

I would say you are in a needle and haystack situation as far as finding them in the wild.

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I kind of figured that they would be difficult to find, I just wanted to know if they even could. Thanks for the tips!

Sith the turtle said:

I kind of figured that they would be difficult to find, I just wanted to know if they even could. Thanks for the tips!

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newt are in all the freshwater were there are nofish.
The place were you have a chance to found them is the jordan valley, it start from the Sea of Galilee and finish on the dead sea.
Other place are the ajloun governorate, the wadi arab dam, the / Irbid / Harja / بلدة خرجا park and a big pond near Addassia Al-Shamalya (near sea of galilee).
I think that the best way to find them is first search someone who see them and then search.
For what i know, the pond near Addassia Al-Shamalya its the place with more chance to find ommatotriton in your country.
And remember their are in water only in winter.

Daimler said:

newt are in all the freshwater were there are nofish.
The place were you have a chance to found them is the jordan valley, it start from the Sea of Galilee and finish on the dead sea.
Other place are the ajloun governorate, the wadi arab dam, the / Irbid / Harja / بلدة خرجا park and a big pond near Addassia Al-Shamalya (near sea of galilee).
I think that the best way to find them is first search someone who see them and then search.
For what i know, the pond near Addassia Al-Shamalya its the place with more chance to find ommatotriton in your country.
And remember their are in water only in winter.

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It's late fall here, so I might have a chance. Thanks you guys, really helpful!

Good news!
The ommatotriton is located also in the Golan Heights!

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near the border village Addassia Al-Shamalya

Since we are in november and its raining in the north of jordan, the ommatotriton are already out of their dens :supercool: