One day, in a pleurodels waltl habitat

Hello.

Photos of the habitat of pleurodeles waltl, in Tarragona mountains (100-200 km. aprox. south of barcelona ). It's the NE limit of distribution of spanish ribered newt in Spain. This photo's are taken one week ago, all photo's in the same day.

This is a typical mediterranean region, not high mountains ( 400-600 m. ).



For birdwatch people in this mountains breed more typical mediterraean birds the bonelli's eagle, Short toed eagle, Sylvia melanocephala are very frequentlly in this ponds for example, oenanthe leucorhoa, O.hispanica, and other mediterranean birds.

this pond is one of the limited NE points of disribution this newt. This pond not have water many months ago in the year...at actually (this photo) have many water.... there are not typical acuatic plants, and the density of newts are very low.. are years more larvae are dead because there aren't water....






Take some panoramic photos of the ponds for show the habitat around the pond

Thanks for sharing! I love seeing herping pictures from other parts of the world.

Other diferent pond, like to this pond are very frequentlly in my region, pleurodeles occuped this ponds, in a clayey soil, with no many vegetation only Chara sp. algae, and brown water ( in more ponds in 10 cms. of water you not see anything!!). In this water ( like to chocolate with milk :happy herping isn'y easy, and take photos...







The pleurodeles are very adaptable, in this cement point in a recreative area, i found some larvae

This is my favorite pond, in this region, for Pleurodeles ( Triturus marmoratus breed in this pond, but i see low numbers).

Clearly water, water all the year. Many plants, more Potamogeton sp.
I love this pond ( and for ring birds it's a very good point in migration, i have day's of ringing and newts..). And very important, the people aren't frequentlly .





Presence of flock of goats ( domestic) (but there are wild Cabra hispanica in this region!!!!) it's very important because this ponds are important watering for farm animals.

Are all the ponds there muddy like that?

Problems. The pleurodeles have problems ( like you and me). Loss habitat, climatic change, etc..and introduction of foranean species, for example, this pond.

Are in the middle of this regiom photo's, it's good habitat, but there are Gambusia ( very bad), and for me the biggest problem at actually on the region, the Procambarus clarkii mad. the P.clarkii travel to other distants ponds, and when there are Procambarus the newts dissapear ( the last Pleurodeles i'm hace notice in this pond are 5 years ago...and in the past are good point ( one veteran herper related me, this pond it's a pleurodeles fest!!!!).

This is this tragedic point, not are pleurodeles, many many Gambusia, and probably the headquarter for the Pocambarus colonizited other ponds.

Very interesting your posts, nice pics! I liked it, thanks for sharing your output field with the people!

cheers

Great post! I really appreciate seeing the habitat shots. The habitat appears very similar to some sites in California where I find Taricha torosa. Mike

Those are great habitat shots, and it was awesome to see that one shot of the wild Pleurodeles waltl!