Lissotriton graecus (Wolterstorff, 1906)

Common Names

Greek Newt (Steward, 1969, Tailed Amph. Eur.: 40).

Schreiber's Smooth Newt (Steward, 1969, Tailed Amph. Eur.: 40).

Greek Smooth Newt (Wielstra, Canestrelli, Cvijanovíc, Denoël, Fijarczyk, Jablonski, Liana, Naumov, Olgun, Pabijan, Pezzarossa, Popgeorgiev, Salvi, Si, Sillero, Sotiropoulos, Zieliński, and Babik, 2018, Amphibia-Reptilia, 39: 254). 

Distribution

Dalmatian coast of central Croatia, south through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, southern Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania to and including most of Greece.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia

Comment

Razzetti, Andreone, Corti, and Sindaco, 2006, in Sindaco et al. (ed.), Atlas Ital. Amph. Rept.: 162, suggested that evidence provided by Pellarini and Lapini, 2000, Atti del I Congr. Naz. Soc. Herpetol. Italica, Torino, 1996, Atti del I Congr. Naz. della Soc. Herpetol. Italica, Mus. Reg. Sci. Nat. Torino:  347–351, suggested that Lissotriton vulgaris vulgaris and Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis may be distinct species. This was formalized by Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2009, Alytes, 26: 39–40. Valakos, Pafilis, Sotiropoulos, Lymberakis, Maragou, and Foufopoulos, 2008, Amph. Rept. Greece: 151–154, provided an account for Greece (as Lissotriton vulgaris). Documented zone of intergradation/hybridization on the eastern part of its range with Lissotriton vulgaris; see comment under Lissotriton vulgaris. Speybroeck, Beukema, and Crochet, 2010, Zootaxa, 2492: 3, discussed the problematic nature of the evidence supporting recognition of this taxon and refrained from recognizing it as a species distinct from Lissotriton vulgaris in part based on an adherence to the biological species concept. Raffaëlli, 2013, Urodeles du Monde, 2nd ed.: 122–123, provided a brief account, photo, and map. Szabolcs, Mizsei, Jablonski, Vági, Mester, Végvári, and Lengyel, 2017, Amphibia-Reptilia, 38: 435–448, provided a dot map and discussion of range in Albania. Wielstra, Canestrelli, Cvijanovíc, Denoël, Fijarczyk, Jablonski, Liana, Naumov, Olgun, Pabijan, Pezzarossa, Popgeorgiev, Salvi, Si, Sillero, Sotiropoulos, Zieliński, and Babik, 2018, Amphibia-Reptilia, 39: 252–259, reviewed the relevant taxonomic literature of the Lissotriton vulgaris complex and provided a range map, noting the narrow hybrid zone with Lissotriton vulgaris. See Dufresnes, 2019, Amph. Eur., N. Afr., & Middle East: 123, for brief summary of identifying morphology and biology, a range map, as well as a photograph. See Speybroeck, Beukema, Dufresnes, Fritz, Jablonski, Lymberakis, Martínez-Solano, Razzetti, Vamberger, Vences, Vörös, and Crochet, 2020, Amphibia-Reptilia, 41: 144, for taxonomic comments. Raffaëlli, 2022, Salamanders & Newts of the World: 350–351, provided an account, summarizing systematics, life history, population status, and distribution (including a polygon map). 

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• For additional information see AmphibiaWeb report
• For information on conservation status and distribution see the IUCN Redlist
• For information on distribution, habitat, and conservation see the Map of Life
• For related information on conservation and images as well as observations see iNaturalist