Italian Crested Newt (Triturus carnifex )

The Italian Crested Newt (Triturus carnifex) is a species of salamander in the Salamandridae family. It is found in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, plantations , rural gardens, water storage areas, ponds, and open excavations. It is threatened by habitat loss.

(source Wikipedia)

The species appears to be relatively adaptable to several acquatic environments, preferring permanet or semi-temporary, moderately deep ponds. Reproductive activity is stricly connected to the acquatic mode of life. Here this species exhibits a refined repertory of dances. During courtship, the male positions himself in front of the female, using his vibrating tail as a fan to push pheromones secreted by his abdominal glands towards her. Once accepted, the male lays one or more spermatophores, which the female picks up with her cloaca. She then deposits ehhs singly or in small masses on the leaves of acquatic plants. Larvae metamorphose in two-three months, althogh neither the extension of larval life (giant larvae) nor neoteny (paedomorphosis) are unusual.

(sourc - Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles - Ed. Polistampa)

 

Unken reflex is a passive defense posture adopted by toads, frogs and salamanders. When threatened by predators, they twist their bodies, or arch their backs and limbs to expose brightly-colored aposematic skin. The normally-concealed red, yellow, white and black patterns on the underbelly, inner surfaces of the limbs or underside of the tail serve as a visual warning to predators. To reinforce the warning, unken reflex is sometimes accompanied by toxic and malodorous secretions from glands in the skin.