Triturus montandoni

Does anyone here know much about Triturus montandoni? }I'm assuming it has similar requirements to other Triturus species.

I keep them in a terrestial tank with the standard soil, some moss, plants. I even planted a tree from the forest. I started with a lot of moss and found they don't use it that much. I left only a smaller amount now and they seem to stay to the dryer soil side either way. They like to climb the tree a lot, especially when the soil is misted a little too much. I thought seeing a climbing newt was a neat looking site. I keep them in a cool room all year that doesnt have a lot of lighting either. They stay out in this condition and have no need to hide. THEY LOVE WAXWORMS by the way. They eat rapidly when I give them worms moving around their tank weekly. They are hibernating now for the winter @ 38F. I check on them weekly and they seem fine.

Cataldo

here's photos to enjoy.



FYI: I found this baby tree in the forest with no chemicals present. I had a friend use this type of tree before and I've had it for months, So i believe it is not poisonous to the newts.

Nice Pic Cataldo. Have you bred them yet?

Dave: No, not yet, but hopefully SOON! Did you want offspring?

After running my pics and going thru an interesting search, I think your right. It will be interesting to see this cypress grow 70 feet high and 25 feet wide in my 29 gallon tank. LOL


I have a closeup of the branch for you.

Thanks Cataldo, but I'm hoping to have my own. I've got some that I'll be introducing to water in a couple of weeks. Let me know how you do and I'll do the same for you. Good luck.

Hi all!

I want to travel the carpatians and search for those newts... But I have no clue where to look for them, I've been thinking about the Polish part (I speak Polish..) but I don't know how good my chances are to find some of them there... Does anyone know more?

Ahm... I don't want to capture them! I just want to find them, take some pictures and go home again!

Greetings,

Kamil

"T. montandoni is an endemic species restricted to parts of the Carpathian Mountains and to the Tatra Mountains. It's range covers part of Romania, the eastern part of Ukraine, the south of Poland, the north of Slovakia, and the north-eastern part of the Czech Republic. It is not found in the South Carpathians, eastwards of the Dambovita River in Romania.
It occurs mainly in forested areas and is quite common, except at the borders of it's range.
It is frequently syntopic with T.alpestris, and hybridizes easily with T.vulgaris.Hybrids may constitute up to 60% of the populations in Poland." (Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe. Gasc...1997)
Good Luck.

Leigh Gillett went looking for montandoni in Poland a few years ago- he published some observations in the BHS Bulletin.

I can dig out this article if anyone's interested.

I'd be very interested in reading this article!
let me know
thanks a lot
Leo

Hi Kamil,

one tip: Pieninski Park Narodowy.
PS: keep on your mind you said.

Hello all,

thanks for the Help!

I'd be also very interested in this Article! I have just an article in a Polish book I could buy some days ago in Poland.

Greetings,

Kamil

OK, this is the part relating to T. montandoni from Gillett, L., 1990. The Reptiles and Amphibians of Poland. British Herpetological Society Bulletin 31:36-38.

"Triturus montandoni/ Carpathian Newt/ Traszka karpacka

Mountains of the extreme south. In the south-east I have found this newt in great abundance, occupying every kind of fish-free water from woodland ponds to temporary puddles and the running water of small roadside ditches. In these places it was the only newt species but, in the relatively few places where it can be found alongside the Smooth Newt [T. vulgaris], hybrids can make up 60% of the population. Even in breeding condition, this species is characterized by a rough-feeling skin. An albino larva has grown to a size beyond that at which metamorphosis would normally take place and has over-wintered in this condition. (I am not aware of this phenomenon having previously been recorded for this species)"

He also lists two Polish books in the references:

Juszczyk, W., 1987. Plazy i gady krajowe. 3 volumes: 268, 432 and 240 pages. Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa.

Klynarski, M., 1987. Plazy i gady Polski. 80 pages. Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne, Warszawa.

My first T. montodoni egg (with Mom)

congrats dave!

Thanks nate. Now let's wait and see if the eggs are fertile.

I have another Polish book here:

Aleksander Herczek & Jacek Gorczya, 1999, Plazy i gady Polski. Wydawnictwo Kubajak Krzeszowice

I have this one here - If you want I could scan the article and translate it (or try it at least).


Greetings,

Kamil