High Mountain Habitats in Spain II

[rubén]

Natural Park of Somiedo ( Asturias province ) in April . High Mountain Bioclimatic area of the Eurosiberian region , at 1.700 m. of altitude . The glaciar lakes are the breeding point for Triturus alpestris cyreni , Triturus helveticus sequeirai , Triturus marmoratus and Alytes obstetricans boscai.

 

[jesse]

awesome pics man! it really looks like a salamander utopia

 

[mike]

Ruben, please STOP posting these wonderful habitat pics.

I can't afford to emigrate.

 

[jesper]

Yeah, I wonder if they need pharmacists in Spain?

 

[andrew]

Great photos Ruben, how do you keep finding these great places!

 

[rubén]

Thanks all... anyway it will be a pleasure to continue showing the diversity of Spain and fondness for the Biology . Curiously these mountains were a hunting reserve , and later declared Natural Park just only for the bears and wolves , but there are also very interesting communities of mountain amphibians , like neotenic alpine newts and viviparous salamanders .

 

[mike]

Wow! What a view that is.

 

[benjamin]

Doesn't look like there's much there besides newts. Does the cold make the larvae morph at a later time than newts at lower altitudes?

 

[rubén]

Yes , of course . I have never seen Triturus alpestris cyreni larvae of last years at lower altitude . Surely due to the low temperatures and food lack .