Siberian salamander interesting facts. Siberian salamanders - small numerous newts

Despite the fact that the Siberian salamander, or, as it is also called, the four-toed newt, is widespread in nature, it is very rare to see an adult specimen. During the day, these animals hide under snags and turf, crawl into cracks in the ground, and only at night come out to feed. Due to the secretive lifestyle in some habitats, including the European part of Russia, salamanders for a long time didn't notice. Meanwhile, these amphibians are unique.

The four-toed newt (Salamandrella keyserlingii) is a tailed amphibian, a member of the salamander family. Its habitat is very extensive. It is found from the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and the Japanese Islands through all of Siberia to the eastern regions of Europe, where it lives in the Republic of Mari El, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Kirov regions and the Komi Republic, as well as in the eastern regions of the Arkhangelsk region.

The four-toed newt penetrates far to the north. Obviously, the entire northeast of Russia is within the plains, with the exception of only the coastal tundras of the Kara and Barents seas, is included in its habitat.

The Siberian salamander is a resident of forests, mainly taiga. In the tundra, steppes and mountains it is found where there is woody vegetation. An important condition for the habitat of these animals is the presence of reservoirs. These can be swamps, ponds, lakes, oxbow rivers, ditches and pits filled with water. I'll understand large rivers four-toed newts do not avoid either. However, they only need water bodies for reproduction. They spend most of their lives on land, usually close to the coast.

In general, these newts gravitate towards shaded habitats. This requirement also applies to breeding reservoirs.

Description of the Siberian salamander

Triton is small. The body is about 7 cm long, round, the head is oval and flattened, the muzzle is short, the eyes are bulging; the tail, the length of which is approximately equal to the length of the body, is laterally compressed, but not as strongly as in other newts. The body is covered with smooth, moisturized and shiny skin of uniform Brown various shades. A wide, lighter stripe runs along the back, along the edges of which there are scattered dark spots. On the head this stripe widens somewhat. On the sides of the body, 11-13 transverse grooves are visible on each side. Males and females are almost identical in appearance.

The Siberian salamander differs from other representatives of its genus in the presence of four toes on its hind legs; There are cases of greater reduction of the fingers.

The name “sharptooth” comes from the fact that this tailed amphibian has palatal teeth arranged in a row, forming a V-shaped line.

Features of the northern amphibian

In general, salamanders - amazing creatures. Scientists find in them such structural features that have not been preserved in any other modern vertebrates, but which were present in long-extinct representatives of the prehistoric fauna. Therefore, these reptiles are sometimes called “living fossils.”

In addition, from the general range of amphibians, they also stand out because they are the most cold-resistant. Of course, it is difficult to call an amphibian a “cold-loving” animal, but in the case of our hero this is exactly the case. The salamander, unlike its relatives, gravitates towards cold areas: it can be found in the tundra and in the mountains, i.e. where there are usually no other amphibian species.

It is able to maintain mobility even at zero temperatures, and at minimal positive temperatures it leads an active lifestyle. Salamanders do not die when cooled to -35 – -40° C, since the concentration of glycerol in the tissues and organs of the animal increases. Wintering of four-toed newts ends successfully, even if in shelters average monthly temperatures have a negative value. This allows animals to spread even into the tundra zone and is the reason that allowed the primitive species to have such a wide range in northern Eurasia.

There are even cases where salamanders were found in permafrost. Apparently, they got there as a result of collapses of previously washed away banks. The age of one of these animals trapped in permafrost was determined to be 90 years. But the most amazing thing is that after thawing, such animals come to life, and if thawing occurred gradually, they remain viable!

Average daily positive temperatures during the beginning and end of seasonal activity do not exceed +3 – +4° C. The appearance of salamanders in breeding ponds is closely related to the temperature in the ground layer. The beginning of spawning occurs at daytime temperatures of the soil layer from +9 to +15° C. Spawning itself can take place at minimum temperature water 3.2° C.

Four-toed newts do not tolerate direct sunlight and high temperatures, preferring shaded areas. They even choose shaded ponds for breeding.

At high average daily temperatures with warm and bright nights in the first half of summer, animals become lethargic, move little, and try not to leave the shelter. Obviously, the strict nocturnal activity of the species is also associated with its preference for low temperatures.

Lifestyle, behavior of Siberian salamanders

The salamander is characterized by low mobility and slowness. Even when discovered in a shelter, he is in no hurry to hide. Only during the mating season these animals are quite active, including during the daytime. In water they are light and agile.

Shelters

Ground shelters for four-toed newts are voids under sedge or moss hummocks, dilapidated rotten trees, often with hollows rotting in them, and cracks behind the half-lost bark of more recent trees. Often such large voids form along fallen trees, overgrown on all sides with grass or moss. In such places, salamanders are obviously able to feed without leaving their shelters for many days.

Nutrition

Animals come to the surface to feed only at night. These newts can obtain food both in water and on land, and they search for prey both with the help of sight and smell, which is very important because it allows them to feed on completely motionless objects, unlike, for example, frogs, which simply They don't notice anything that doesn't move.

Based on the smell, a Siberian salamander in a terrarium can snack on a piece of chopped meat or even a boiled egg. In nature, the basis of its nutrition is made up of various sedentary aquatic and soil small invertebrate animals: earthworms, mollusks, spiders, adults and larvae of insects, crustaceans, larvae and eggs of other amphibians.

Wintering

Depending on the habitat, salamanders go to winter in September - early October, and emerge from it in April - May. They overwinter in cracks in the soil, under the rhizomes of fallen trees, under heaps of rotten wood and windbreaks, or in rotten wood. In these places they can accumulate in large quantities several dozen individuals each.

Siberian salamanders live well in captivity. It is not difficult to keep adults, hatch from eggs and raise young animals. For adult animals, a fairly spacious aquaterrarium with water and land parts is needed, while artificial wintering is not a prerequisite for successful maintenance.

The Siberian salamander is a real long-liver. There are known individuals that have lived in nature for 12 years, and, obviously, this is not the limit.

Mating behavior, appearance of offspring

The mating behavior of Siberian salamanders is fundamentally different from other tailed amphibians found in Russia.

IN mating season males have a small leather trim on their tail, but it cannot be compared with the luxurious crests that adorn the males of true newts. But only in our heroes can one observe peculiar “mating currents” and “mating dances”. The male selects some twig in the water column and, holding onto it with his paws, begins to sway and rhythmically move his tail from side to side. When a female swims up to him, he wraps his tail around her, sometimes holding her with his front paws and teeth. The female then crawls through the ring formed by the male's curled tail and lays her egg sacs as she does so. The male, fingering them with his paws, helps his partner, as it were, pull them out.

Up to 20 individuals can spawn in one place, while a female laying eggs often attracts the attention of several males at once. At the very beginning of laying, the female attaches the adhesive base of the bags to some underwater object.

The salamander's clutch looks like two egg sacks spirally twisted by 2.5-3 turns. Fresh masonry is small in size (length 50-60 mm and width about 5 mm). Such masonry becomes opalescent in the sun and appears bluish. After swelling, the opalescence disappears. As the embryos develop, the length and width of the clutch increases slightly.

In the most favorable bodies of water, salamanders can lay several hundred clutches, which in some places form continuous gelatinous masses. Each clutch contains from 30 to 300 eggs.

If the weather is favorable, larvae emerge from the eggs after 18-20 days. However, the timing of embryonic development strongly depends on weather conditions. The rather long period of egg development is due to the fact that four-toed newts often choose heavily shaded, cold bodies of water for breeding. Embryos have very high thermal resistance, so even the return of severe cold, up to the freezing of clutches into ice, does not stop the development of eggs, but prolonged cooling can greatly slow down embryogenesis. Too much heat water in breeding reservoirs can negatively affect the reproduction of this species.

At first, the hatched larvae are inactive and stay on the remains of the masonry and plants. Their body length is slightly more than 1 cm, they breathe using developed external gills. The larva has a clearly defined tail, making up about half the body length, and a well-defined head.

Soon the larvae begin to feed. First, they catch small aquatic crustaceans - daphnia, cyclops, and then they grab larger prey - mosquito larvae, mollusks, water bugs and beetles.

The duration of the larval period is 40-50 days, and then metamorphosis occurs.

As the larva grows, first the forelimbs and then the hind limbs appear, i.e. the sequence is completely different from that of the well-known frog tadpoles, in which the hind legs appear first, and only then the front ones.

The length of the gills first increases, reaching the middle of the body, and then they are reduced. By the time of metamorphosis, the hind limbs, previously similar in size to the forelimbs, become more powerful, with developed muscles. During the process of metamorphosis, the larval fin fold and external gills disappear.

Natural enemies

Salamanders have many natural enemies. Its clutches and larvae are eaten by insects, mollusks, fish and other amphibians. Adults are hunted by birds, mammals, and snakes. Only secrecy, stealth and protective coloring save them.

The huge range and high population density of salamanders allows us not to fear for the fate of the species, at least in the foreseeable future. At the same time, this newt, like other amphibians, is sensitive to the destruction and pollution of its habitats and needs protection.

In contact with

Already from the name of this animal it becomes clear that it is endemic to the Siberian regions of Russia. However, its habitat is not limited to Siberia alone. It is quite wide and includes: the Kuril Islands, the Urals, Chukotka, Sakhalin. The Siberian salamander can be found in China, Japan and Korea, as well as in the European part of Russia. In this case, preference is given to low-lying areas covered with swamps, reservoirs, lakes, as well as areas with abundant forest vegetation. Salamanders are not afraid of people, and therefore are frequent guests of city parks and squares.

Triton is not picky about conditions environment. It tolerates low temperatures well and survives well in permafrost conditions. But a high temperature, above 27 degrees, is destructive for him. Even if it is in the shade, at this temperature a newt can die.

What does a Siberian salamander look like?

This is a tailed amphibian, belonging to the family of salamanders, with a rather original, heterogeneous body color, in which brown color tones predominate, with numerous stains. Moreover, the same brown color, depending on the halo of the newt’s habitat, can have different color shades, from green and golden to completely black.

The appearance of the newt is almost the same as that of all representatives of its family. This is an elongated body, short four-toed paws, and a flattened head. Although, there is a little intrigue regarding the number of toes on the paws. There don't have to be four of them. There are individuals with three and five fingers. The body is crowned by a long and flat tail. The newt itself grows no more than 13 centimeters in length.

The Siberian salamander is most active in the evening and at night. During the day, he hides in a secluded place, where he waits for dusk. The newt avoids direct sunlight because the skin quickly dries out. This makes him extremely lethargic and slow. If exposed to the sun for a long time, the newt dies.

Salamander larvae behave completely differently. They are active both day and night. Wherein Sun rays they are not harmed at all. They still remain as cheerful and active.

With the onset of frosty days, the larvae begin a period of suspended animation, just like the newts themselves. Around the end of November they begin to look for a secluded place for the winter. They can burrow into fallen leaves of trees, hide in dead wood, build a shelter under old rotten stumps, use abandoned rodent holes, etc. Having climbed into one of these places, the newt settles comfortably in it and falls asleep. The state of suspended animation lasts until the onset of spring warmth, approximately five to eight months.

With the first warmth, the newt climbs to the surface. He is not afraid of short-term frosts and zero temperatures. There are cases when Siberian salamanders calmly tolerated temperatures down to minus forty degrees. Their bodies coped well with this test.

The newt feeds on insects, invertebrates, mollusks, and earthworms.

It can reproduce at water temperatures from 14 to 18 degrees. The female salamander lays eggs on the stems of aquatic plants. After four weeks, larvae will emerge from them. At the end of summer they will turn into newts and wash ashore. They become sexually mature at three years of age.

This animal can also be called the four-toed newt, but the more common name is – Siberian salamander. The newt has a brown color on the upper part of the body, but the color is not uniform; various specks, stains, and stripes can be observed, but they are not brightly colored.

Newt has several shades of the main color (brown). If we consider f from the Siberian salamander, then you can see a smoky shade, and greenish, and very dark, almost black, and even golden.

The body shape, like that of any other newts, is an elongated, slightly oval, flat head, with 4 limbs on the sides, on which there are fingers. Although this newt is called four-toed, not all individuals have 4 toes. You can find salamanders with both three and five fingers.

The tail is flattened laterally and long, but its length varies in each individual. There are some whose body is shorter than the tail, but generally the tail is shorter than the body. The length of the entire animal reaches 12-13 cm, this also includes the size of the tail. The skin is smooth, however, there are from 12 to 15 grooves on the sides.

This reptile feels very good in Russia and is distributed almost throughout the entire country. True, their numbers are not so large in the Middle Urals and in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Therefore there Siberian salamander is listed in the Red Book.

Salamanders live most comfortably in low-lying areas where there are bodies of water - rivers, swamps or lakes. They can be seen in mixed, coniferous or deciduous forests. They are not too afraid of people, they were often met in parks, near railways, and villagers often see them.

The salamander is not even afraid of frost, because it is one of the few animals that has adapted to survive in permafrost. There are examples of these newts spending up to 100 years in a torpor and then miraculously returning to life.

Character and lifestyle

The main activity of this adult reptile occurs in the evening part of the day or at night. During the day, they hide in all sorts of shelters and wait for darkness to set in. Sometimes a newt can stick its nostrils out of its hiding place, but does not come out on its own.

His skin quickly dries out in the open sun and becomes almost black. The animal itself becomes too lethargic and dies very quickly. If the air temperature is above 27 degrees, even the shade cannot save the salamander; in the heat it will die even in the shade.

But salamander larvae do not stop their activity during the day. They are not afraid of dry skin. Although the animal is adapted to survive in the cold, it, of course, does not endure the cold while awake.

From August to November (depending on where the individual lives), the animal looks for a secluded place, does not arrange it too much for convenience, immediately looks for a ready-made place for wintering, and hibernates. Most often, wintering newts can be found under a thick layer of fallen leaves, in the dust of old stumps, in dead wood, or simply buried in the ground.

There salamander Spends 5 to 8 months in a sleeping state. But as soon as the snow begins to melt, newts emerge on the surface of the earth (March - June). They are not afraid of temporary frosts; they can feel relatively cheerful even at 0 degrees.

The amazing adaptability to frost could not help but interest scientists. Special experiments were carried out with these animals, where artificial conditions were created with a temperature of 35-40 degrees below zero. And the newts did not die. The body is able to work even in a state of prolonged sleep (anabiosis). Salamanders are found both individually and in small groups.

Diet of the Siberian salamander

Basic diet angletoothed consists of larvae, and all sorts of ones that can be caught. In the damp places where the newt often lives, there is enough food, so he has nowhere to rush and moves slowly. Neither mollusks nor worms can boast of the speed of movement, and because of this, the salamander has not changed its “gait” for many centuries.

Reproduction and lifespan

As soon as salamanders emerge from hibernation, they immediately begin the process of reproduction. First, the mating games, or rather, “demonstration performances,” begin.

The male needs to attract the female’s attention to his person, so he finds a twig, wraps himself around her and begins to curl his tail, showing how capable, skillful he is and how ready he is for procreation.

After this, the female attaches a kind of egg sac to the branch, and the male attaches a capsule with sperm on top of this egg sac. Outwardly, such bags look like a spirally twisted rope. It’s interesting, but very often it happens that the sacs with eggs are attached by several females at once, that is, group breeding occurs.

Time passes, the bags swell and become larger. In such a bag there can be 14 dark eggs, and 170 - the fertility of each female is individual. The development of future offspring directly depends on the temperature of the water.

The warmer the water, the faster the larva will form. If the water conditions are optimal, the first larvae can hatch within 2 weeks. However, this rarely happens. As a rule, the entire stage from the origin of life to the emergence of the larvae takes 2-3 months.

The larva is very well adapted to aquatic life. They have well-developed feathery gills, a fin fold for swimming, and even a fin between the fingers that looks like a small oar. But with further development of the larva, these adaptations disappear.

To the untrained observer, the larva angletoothed will seem too similar to a tadpole, but the head of the future newt is narrower, and not completely round, like that of a tadpole, the body is more elongated and there is not such a sharp transition from head to body as in the future one.

And the very behavior of the newt larva is different - at the slightest danger, it hides and runs to the bottom. The larva is too careful. While tadpoles can only swim sharply a short distance to the side.

The larvae are constantly in the water, so they are not in danger of overheating; in case of strong heat, they can sink a little lower. Their activity is also connected with this - the larvae do not hide during the day and are alert at any time of the day, however, at night they prefer to rest. To do this, they sink to the bottom and freeze.

The development of future newts occurs over the course of a month. After this, young newts come to land. Most often this happens in the month of August. Young salamander begins to hunt independently on land, and leads normal life With the exception of one adult newt, these reptiles reach sexual maturity only at the age of three. According to scientists, newts live on average about 13 years.

Publications about discoveries of living amphibians - Siberian salamanders (Hynobius keyserlingi Dyb. et Gold., 1870) in permafrost - have repeatedly appeared in the scientific, popular science and periodical press. An overview of such messages is contained in article (2). Geologists, who often come across these animals, established their age based on the age of the surrounding sedimentary rocks and estimate it to be within 5-10 thousand years. For example, in (3) it is reported that a salamander was found in a pit at a depth of 8 m in permafrost, clay deposits that are at least 5000 years old. “The lizard, as hard as an icicle,” according to the author, thawed and came to life, greedily drank water and lived for three weeks.

Zoologists (2) believe that modern salamanders accidentally fall into a layer of fossil ice through cracks, which are washed away by water and clay, soldered together, and the animals are thus immured. A.G. Bannikov (2) considers the life expectancy of salamanders in permafrost to be even 20-30 years unlikely. P.V. Terentyev and S.A. Chernov spoke out more cautiously at one time ((4), p. 57): “In Kolyma there were cases of finding (sharp teeth) in permafrost, but the meaning of these finds is not yet clear.”

Covering this issue is the purpose of this message.

In November 1972, geologist D. B. Kolomeytsev delivered a live Siberian salamander to the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. In July of this year, the amphibian was extracted from alluvial deposits of the Upper Quaternary age during stripping operations at a depth of 11 m. The work was carried out in the basin of the Great Camperlame River. According to D.B. Kolomeytsev, an excavator destroyed a lens of ice, in one piece of which an inclusion was noticed. After the ice thawed, this inclusion turned out to be a salamander that came to life. Geologists denied the possibility of an animal accidentally falling through cracks in such a thick layer of permafrost. The salamander, delivered first to Krivoy Rog and then to Kyiv, actively fed: it ate flies, cockroaches, and live fish - guppies. The animal did not differ in color and body proportions from modern ones (4): L. 55.5 mm; L.c. 7.5 mm: R.a. 15.5 mm; P.p. 15.5 mm; Lcd 45.0 mm. On December 20, 1972, the Siberian salamander, which lived after thawing for almost six months without any signs of pathology, was killed and its absolute age was studied by the radiocarbon method at the Institute of Geochemistry and Physics of Minerals of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.

The individual, previously cleaned of external contaminants and entrails (5), was analyzed according to the generally accepted method. Dried triton was burned in a stream of argon (500°) to carbon dioxide, from which benzene was synthesized - a countable form of radiocarbon (1) The activity of radiocarbon in the samples was measured using a low-background installation; assembled according to the scheme of fast-slow coincidences. Benzene synthesized from oak wood aged 70 years was used as a standard.

A 9.6 mL benzene standard gave a background-free count of 52.9 cpm. As a control, using the above method, the age of other living amphibians similar in size was determined: the Siberian salamander, caught in October 1972 near the station. Tiger in Primorye and crested newt (Triturus cristatus Laur., 1768) from the outskirts of Kyiv. The animals entered the experiment under numbers, without labels.

The data obtained allowed us to establish the age of the Siberian salamander from permafrost at 90 ± 15 years. Considering that the amphibian lived after thawing for a very long time long time and a certain amount of radioactive carbon dioxide entered his body with food and air, it can be assumed that this age is even somewhat underestimated. The age of the control individuals - the Siberian salamander from Primorye and the crested newt from the outskirts of Kyiv turned out to be within 15 ± 15 and 9-10 ± 10 years, respectively.

The data obtained indicate that Siberian salamanders can remain in a frozen state for a very long time, the limits of which will be established as a result of studying new finds of newts.

It is also obvious that freezing some animals in a state of anaerobia is similar to preservation and takes place with negligible energy consumption.

Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR

Received 01 11 1973

Institute of Geochemistry and Physics of Minerals of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR

Literature Cited

1. X, A. Arslanov, L. I. Gromova et al., Geochemistry, No. 2, 198 (1968).

2. A. G. Bannikov, Nature, No. 6, 115 (1963).

3. V. Boldyrev, Peninsula of Mysteries, M., (1959).

4. P. V. Torentyev, S. A. Chernov, Key to reptiles and amphibians, M., 1949.

5. G. Kohl, G. K ueke It, Monatsber. Deutsch., Acad. Wiss. Berlin, no. 7-10 (1959).

Siberian salamander
wikipedia

The Siberian salamander, or four-toed newt (Latin Salamandrella keyserlingii) is a tailed amphibian (newt) from the salamander family.

Found in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, in Japan, Northeast China and Korea, Siberia, the Urals and is known in the Komi and Nizhny Novgorod regions of the European part of Russia. The only species of amphibian well adapted to life in the permafrost zone. In the experiment, young salamanders tolerated hypothermia down to -6°. It is closely associated with taiga forests and penetrates into the tundra only through floodplain forests.

The size of adults reaches 12-13 cm, of which less than half is the tail (in males it is longer than in females). They are most active at dusk and at night, when they feed on land animals: worms, lung molluscs, insects. During the day they hide under fallen trees, in stumps, and under the forest floor. With prolonged forced exposure to the sun, they become lethargic and soon die. At a temperature of about 27° this amphibian dies even in the shade. It has a wide, flattened head, a laterally compressed tail, but lacking leathery fin folds. The color is gray-brown or brownish with small spots and a lighter longitudinal stripe on the back. The Siberian salamander has only 4 toes on its hind legs, which is why it is called the four-toed newt. Salamanders overwinter on land, often in rotting trunks of fallen trees; they also use all sorts of cracks and crevices in the soil. During hibernation, Siberian salamanders fall into suspended animation, during which their body practically does not function. The salamander's liver first synthesizes an amount of glycerol equal to 37% of its body weight, which allows it to tolerate low temperatures. Specimens were found that had been torpid in permafrost conditions for 80 to 100 years and safely returned to life. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, salamanders go into the water to reproduce.

Information about the 100-year suspended animation of the Siberian salamander on the website: http:// www. youtube. com/watch? gl= RU&hl= ru&v= 8rljbTkOcrA - film magazine “I Want to Know Everything No. 151.

Reproduction

Spawning at water temperatures from +14° to +18°. Masonry - on a driftwood or aquatic plant. Caviar development - up to 4 weeks. The larvae develop approximately the same time. They come to land in August, reaching a length of 30-40 mm. Sexual maturity at 3 years of age.

Information from the site: http:// ru. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Siberian salamander

Siberian salamander

Description and taxonomy

Body length 66-72 mm, total length 119-162 mm. There are 11-15 costal grooves. The tail is slightly shorter, equal to or slightly longer than body with the head. The color is brown, bronze-brown, olive or grayish with dark spots and a wide, light, often golden or silver longitudinal stripe along the middle of the back. The male has a relatively longer and higher tail, a more convex cloaca, relatively longer forelegs, and the total length of the fore and hind limbs than the female. These differences are most noticeable during the breeding season.

Although several species have been described throughout the history of research on the Siberian salamander based on its various geographical populations, these are not currently recognized as valid. Salamandrella is a monotypic genus with only one species, unique among amphibians for its wide range and low geographic variability. Several subspecific forms have been described, including three from Russia: Salamandrella keyserlingii tridactyla Nikolsky, 1905: (type area: city of Vladivostok); Salamandrella keyserlingii typica, kultukiensis Dybowski, 1928: (type area: Kultuk village, southwestern corner of Lake Baikal, Irkutsk region); S. keyserlingii kalinowskiana Dybowski, 1928: (type area: southern Primorye). Currently, the validity of these forms is denied. However, there are interpopulation differences in some morphological characteristics (Borkin, 1995). Populations from the southeastern part of the range differ the most.

Spreading

It has the widest range among modern amphibians - 12 million km 2 (Kuzmin, 1999). The species lives in Russia, northern Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Korea and Japan. In the USSR, the northern border of the range runs from the Russian Plain (Arkhangelsk region: about 64°40′ northern latitude, 43° east longitude) east to the Polar Urals (Tyumen region, south of the Yamal Peninsula: about 67°56′ north latitude, 67°51′ east longitude), through the Taimyr Peninsula, Krasnoyarsk region(Avam River: about 71° north latitude, 93° east longitude) to the north of Yakutia (about 70° - 71° north latitude: the village of Kyusyur - the village of Kazachye on the Yana River - the mouth of the Chukochya River) and the Chukotka Peninsula (the city of Pevek: 69° 42′ north latitude, 170°19′ east longitude - mouth of the Ekitika River: approx. 67° north latitude, 176° west longitude)

The southern border of the range runs from the northeast of the Kostroma region (Ponazyrevsky district, environs of the village of Kiselevo: 58°15′ north latitude, 46°13′ east longitude) through the Kirov and Perm regions to Southern Urals(surroundings of the city of Orenburg: 51°47′ north latitude, 55°03′ east longitude). From here the border runs along northern border forest-steppe and steppe zones approximately along the line Kurgan region (about 55° north latitude) - northern Kazakhstan near the border with the Omsk region - Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions. The border then goes south at about 85°-90° East longitude and leaves Russia. The easternmost part of the range is the Kamchatka Peninsula and some islands of the Pacific Ocean: Sakhalin, the northern and southern Kuril Islands (Shumshu, Paramushir and Kunashir), Bolshoi Shantar, Langr and Popova. The salamander also lives on some islands of rivers and lakes, for example, in the delta of the Kolyma River.

Lifestyle

Inhabits wet conifers, mixed and deciduous forests in the taiga zone and valley forests in the tundra and forest-steppe (Sibirsky salamander, 1995). In forests it is found mainly in clearings and along the edges, usually near standing and semi-flowing water bodies. In general, abundance in Western Siberia decreases towards the east. In the north of Central and Eastern Siberia, the species lives in bushes and groves with extensive moss cover and small lakes. In some areas (for example, in the Kolyma River basin), the salamander can be found at a great distance from water bodies (up to 400-600 m) (Berman, 1992). IN temperate zone he prefers taiga forests. In the European part of the range, such forests are formed mainly by fir and larch, in the Middle Urals and Siberia by birch, pine, etc. In general, the species is most numerous in the taiga. The Siberian salamander is abundant in permafrost zones and steppes due to its high frost resistance and use of intrazonal river valley landscapes.

Wintering begins from September - October to April - early May (in the northeastern part of the range until the end of May - early June). The duration of wintering increases to the north. Adults are able to tolerate drops in body temperature to -35° - -40°C and do not lose mobility at +0.5° - +1°C. Biochemical analysis showed seasonal changes in the concentrations of cryoprotectant, a glycerol-like substance that is redistributed from the liver to other organs before wintering (Berman et al., 1984). Caviar can withstand short-term freezing into ice.

Reproduction

It breeds in lakes and swamps and other drainless reservoirs, in Primorye - also in flowing (usually temporary streams). Reproduction in April - June. Group breeding is characteristic, when most females lay eggs in a few places for a very short time (sometimes 1-2 nights). The bag-like clutches of salamanders, attached to underwater plants, gradually sink as the water level drops, which prevents them from drying out. Sometimes several dozen clutches are located on the same substrate. Fertilization is external (Siberian salamander, 1994). There are suggestions about the presence of internal fertilization. This question needs further study.

Hatching occurs after 15-40 days in the temperate zone and after 12-24 days in the subarctic zone (Sibirsky salamander, 1995). The development of larvae takes 41-102 (usually 60-80) days in the temperate zone and 34-52 days in the northeast. In general, embryonic and larval development is somewhat shorter in northern latitudes.

After short period After feeding on endogenous embryonic yolk, the larvae switch to consuming small crustaceans (Ostracoda, small Cladocera and Copepoda). The food spectrum is gradually expanding towards increasingly larger prey - snails, bivalves and insects (mainly beetles, mayfly larvae and dipterans) (Kuzmin, 1984, 1985). During the period of metamorphosis, the salamander does not stop feeding. With the further development of the salamander, its feeding range expands towards increasingly larger prey. Land-dwelling adults eat a variety of invertebrates (mainly Lumbricidae, Mollusca, Aranei, Coleoptera and Diptera larvae); in water their feeding spectrum is narrower (Gastropoda, Daphniidae, Coleoptera and Chironomidae larvae).

State of populations Reductions in Siberian salamander populations occur under the influence of the same factors that cause declines in populations of most other amphibian species: destruction of biotopes, pollution, etc. Although the salamander lives in many cities, it is usually not numerous there and cannot be considered as a species that adapts well to urban conditions (Vershinin, 1985, 1990, 1997). The Siberian salamander is a widespread and common species in Russia. It is listed only in the Red Books of the Middle Urals (Perm and Sverdlovsk regions) and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Lives in 37 (or 41) nature reserves in Russia.

Website: http://www. sevin. ru/ vertebrates/ index. html? Amphibias/ 1.html

Drawings: http://www. ecosystema. ru/ 08 nature/ amf/ 01. htm

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Siberian salamanders are newts belonging to the salamander family. They live over a vast territory. The northern part of the range reaches Yakutia and the Urals. They were found in the tundra, almost in the Arctic Ocean.

The southern part of the range affects northern Japan, China, Korea and Mongolia. In the west, Siberian salamanders live from the Volga region to the Arkhangelsk region. They are also found in the Urals, in the Trans-Urals, on Far East, in Siberia, Kazakhstan, Kamchatka, Chukotka and the Kuril Islands.

Description of Siberian salamanders

The maximum body length of the Siberian salamander reaches 72 millimeters, and taking into account the tail, it reaches 162 millimeters.

The tail is usually shorter than the body, but sometimes it can be longer. There are 12-14 transverse grooves on the sides of the body. Normally, these newts should have 4 toes on their paws, but some individuals have three or five toes. Such individuals are often distinguished as a separate species.

The color of the upper body and sides is brown with various transitions from smoky to golden. The belly is light. Some individuals have dark speckles on their bodies. Although several forms of these newts living in China and Russia have been described, they have not received recognition, so this moment There are no subspecies of Siberian salamanders.

The Siberian salamander is the only amphibian well adapted to life in the permafrost zone.

Habitats of Siberian salamanders

Most often, Siberian salamanders choose low-lying areas and valleys with rivers, small lakes and swamps as habitats. They are found in various forests: birch, coniferous, mixed, alder and broad-leaved. They are also found in towns, cities, parks, along railways etc.

Siberian salamanders are ecologically plastic, meaning they can live in different conditions. So in Kamchatka they live on the Uzon volcano, on Sakhalin in hills overgrown with bamboo, in Mongolia in the steppes next to rivers, and on the Kuril Islands in bomb craters flooded with water.

They mainly prefer shrubby or wooded areas, but are also found in open areas.

Lifestyle of Siberian salamanders

Adults lead hidden life, and are active at dusk or at night; during the day they hide in various shelters. The larvae are active around the clock.

When the snow begins to melt, salamanders appear on the surface; this occurs at different latitudes from March to June. A special feature of this type of newt is the ability to carry low temperature, they do not lose activity at 0 degrees. Therefore, they can even live at the North Pole.

During experiments during which an artificial wintering area was created, the salamanders did not die even at temperatures of minus 35-40 degrees. They have even been found in permafrost. One adult was pulled out of a block of ice, and she came to life, her age was 90 years. That is, in a state of suspended animation, their organisms can function for a long time.

The larvae feed on mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic insects. Adults that live on land eat insects, earthworms, mollusks and other invertebrates.

Siberian salamanders leave for the winter in August-November, which depends on the latitude of their habitat and weather conditions. They overwinter under fallen leaves, in empty stumps, dead wood and soil. They can occur singly or in groups. Hibernation in salamanders it lasts 5-8 months.

Reproduction of Siberian salamanders

Within a couple of days after wintering, salamanders begin to reproduce. They spawn for 2 to 4 weeks. Females lay eggs in shallow water, choosing areas with vegetation that are well warmed by the sun.

These newts are characterized by peculiar courtship behavior. The male grabs a twig in the water and begins to make lateral movements, bending his tail in a wave, so he attracts the attention of the female.

The Siberian salamander's clutch looks like spiral bags that are connected together. Egg sacs are attached to the stems or branches of plants in shallow water. Over time, the bags swell and noticeably increase in size. Females bring different quantities eggs - in some cases there can be 14 eggs in a clutch, and sometimes their number reaches 170 pieces. The color of the eggs is dark gray.

The duration of the embryo development process depends on the water temperature. The larvae can begin to hatch in 2-4 weeks, but most often the development process takes 2-3 months. They have well-formed feathery gills, a fin fold, and a paddle-shaped fin appears between the fingers. In progress further development the blades and balancers disappear. Metamorphosis takes 2-3 days. After metamorphosis, Siberian salamanders reach a length of 20-60 millimeters and weigh from 100 to 900 mg.

The maximum life expectancy in nature for Siberian salamanders is 13 years.

Number of Siberian salamanders and their conservation status

These newts are quite a common species, and in some places their numbers are quite wide. But in certain areas, for example, in the Amur region, Siberian salamanders are rare.

They live on the territory of several reserves. This type not listed in the Red Book.

Species similar to the Siberian salamander

The Siberian salamander shares its habitat with the Ussuri newts, but the Siberian salamanders have a different shape of tail and teeth.

Siberian salamanders differ from common and crested newts by the presence of 4 toes on the hind legs, the shape of the palatal teeth and clearly visible warts on the sides of the body. Siberian salamanders are not associated with other species of tailed reptiles, since they are geographically isolated.

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