Siberian salamander immortal queen amphibian. Siberian salamanders - small numerous newts

Siberian salamander (lat. Salamandrella keyserlingii) has an incredible ability to fall into a long winter hibernation and endure a prolonged drop in temperature without consequences for its health environment from -35°С to -40°С. Presumably, the species appeared about 490 thousand years ago in the mountains of the Far East. It was first described in 1870 by the Polish zoologist and geographer Tadeusz Dybowski. This tailed amphibian is also called a four-toed newt. survive in such extreme conditions it is helped by glycerin, which is formed in the blood from glucose produced by the liver with the onset of frost. Its concentration in the body can reach 37% of body weight, protecting the structure of cells from destruction.

When the Siberian salamander is frozen, all metabolic processes almost completely stop in it. When the environment warms up to 1°C, the animal comes to life and rushes in search of food.

Spreading

This species is divided into two isolated populations inhabiting the territory of the European and Asian parts of Russia. The first is a relic and is distributed in the western regions of the Urals mainly along 44 ° east longitude, mainly in Nizhny Novgorod, Arkhangelsk and Kirov regions. The second is found in the space from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to Kamchatka, including Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The southern border of the range runs in northern Mongolia and Manchuria in northern China. A small number of four-toed newts have survived on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The northern border reaches 72 ° north latitude, including the pole of cold northern hemisphere in Verkhoyansk (68°). Most often, animals are observed in lowlands and uplands up to 900 m above sea level. Only around the freshwater lake Khuvsgul in the north of Mongolia they are observed at altitudes up to 2200 m. The Asian population is distinguished by a number of zoologists in separate view Salamandrella tridactyla.

Behavior

Siberian salamanders inhabit wet meadows, swampy and wooded areas covered with moss, fallen leaves or deadwood, located near spawning ponds. They can be floodplains, ponds, lakes, puddles and slow-flowing streams. Usually these tailed amphibians do not move more than 1500 m from water sources. Summer in the permafrost zone is very short, so the animals hibernate in September and spend at least 160 to 220 days in it, depending on the habitat. Most often salamanders hibernate alone, but often in groups of up to 200 individuals. Awakening usually occurs in April or May, when the ambient temperature exceeds zero.
This species is active in the temperature range from 0.5°C to 27°C. Higher temperatures lead to the death of the amphibian. The larvae feed on small benthic fauna, less often on zooplankton. Adults eat a variety of terrestrial invertebrates that can fit in their mouths. The diet is dominated by worms, snails and insects. The prey is captured by a sharp projection of the tongue. The larvae themselves are attacked by leeches, gastropods, mites, aquatic insects, reptiles and birds. The tadpoles of the Far Eastern frog (Rana dybowskii) are especially dangerous for them. Adult newts are attacked by a significant number of predators, ranging from ground beetles (Carabidae) to various mammals. Fortunately, they remain an occasional part of their diet due to the presence of venom glands in amphibians.

Representatives of this species lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. During rains, they can become active during daylight hours. The larvae are active around the clock. Shelter for amphibians are rotten tree stumps, voids under stones, rodent burrows, heaps of brushwood and grass. Winter hibernation takes place in these shelters. Salamandrella keysrrlingii are characterized by low aggressiveness towards attackers and weak territoriality during the mating season.

reproduction

The mating season runs from mid-April to mid-June, depending on climatic conditions shortly after leaving hibernation and lasts from 10 to 14 days, in rare cases up to 4 weeks. To continue the genus, amphibians gather on shallow shallows of lakes, ponds, swamps or in puddles.

To attract the attention of the female, the male climbs a plant submerged in water and slowly waves his tail.

The female mates with several males and lays eggs under water in porous bags on the stems of aquatic plants or driftwood. The length of egg sacs is 15-20 cm, sometimes up to 37 cm, width 32-50 mm. They contain from 27 to 305 eggs with a diameter of 7-9 mm. Incubation on average lasts about 22 days. Larvae of the limnophilic type (adapted to life in stagnant water bodies) appear in late May or early June. Their body length is 8-12 mm. The development of larvae lasts 60-80 days. If they do not have time to go through the entire metamorphosis completely before the start of winter, then they remain to winter. As a rule, metamorphosis ends in July and August. Young individuals grow up to 2-6 cm and move from aquatic environment on land. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 3-4 years.

Description

The body length of adults is 12-16 cm, of which about half falls on the tail. The tail is characterized by a round base and lateral flattening at the end, like most newts. On the hind limbs there are 4 fingers like the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina terdigita), which lives in the Apennine mountains in southern Italy. The respiratory organ is the lungs, and the larvae have external gills. The respiratory function is partially performed by the skin. Near the palate, the teeth are located at an acute angle. The head is separated from the body, the eyes are "froglike". In its back are the parotid glands (parotid glands). 12-15 vertical lateral grooves are clearly visible on the body. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. Males have a slightly wider head, more cloaca, longer and high tail. The color is brown with various shades of olive, golden, gray and smoky. A wide golden, light brown or silver stripe with a metallic sheen, sometimes with a light brown transverse line in the middle, stretches along the back from the head to the tip of the tail. The abdomen is silvery-gray, often with small dark spots. In a number of individuals, a marble pattern of darkish dots is visible on the head. The camouflage color makes the amphibian hardly noticeable, especially during the white polar nights. The life span of the Siberian salamander vivo about 13 years old.

salamandrella keyserlingii

1000-2000 rub.

Siberian salamander, four-toed newt(Salamandrella keyserlingii or Hynobius keyserlingii)

Class - Amphibians or amphibians

Order - Tailed amphibians

Family - Salamanders

Genus - Siberian salamanders

Appearance

The size of mature individuals (body length with tail) is 8-9 cm, rarely more than 13 cm. The tail is slightly shorter, equal to or slightly longer than the body with the head. The coloration is dark, bronze-brown, brownish or grayish-brown, with small dark spots. The skin is smooth, on the sides of the body there are 12-15 grooves on each side. A light golden stripe stretches along the back of the body. The head is flattened. characteristic feature the salamander (unlike the newt) is the presence of 4 fingers (sometimes 3) on the hind limbs. The tail is laterally compressed, but lacks leathery fin folds.
The male has a relatively longer and higher tail, a more prominent cloaca, relatively longer forelegs, and the combined length of the fore and hind limbs than the female. These differences are most noticeable during the breeding season.

Habitat

Lives in a vast area. In the north, the salamander reaches polar Urals, found in Yakutia at 72°N, in Yakutia and the Magadan region found in the delta tundra almost on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The southern border of the range runs in the north of Japan (Hokkaido Island), Korea, China (Manchuria) and Mongolia. In the west, the species lives in the northeast of the European part of Russia from the Arkhangelsk region to the Volga region, then its range covers the Urals, Trans-Urals and the very north of Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Far East east to Chukotka, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands (Shumshu, Paramushir and Kunashir). Thus, the range of the Siberian salamander covers taiga zone, leaving in the north into the southern tundra, and in the south into the forest-steppe and steppe.

In nature

Leads a terrestrial nocturnal lifestyle. After metamorphosis, in the land phase life cycle, salamanders are active in the dark, and the larvae are active both day and night. At the beginning of the breeding season (in water bodies), adults are active during the day, when the water is warmest. Further, due to the increase in water temperature in spring, activity shifts to twilight and, by the end of the breeding season, to night time.
During the day it hides in the litter, under deadwood, in moss, 2-5 m from the water. Sometimes they can burrow into the mud, exposing only the nostrils. With a long stay on land, the skin of salamanders dries out very quickly, becomes dark, almost black. They prefer small, well-warmed reservoirs, often reservoirs with small springs at the bottom. The most frost-resistant species of amphibians. Adult individuals are able to tolerate a decrease in body temperature to -35-40°C and do not lose mobility at +0.5-1°C. It enters water bodies during ice breakup, remains active at air temperatures from 1 to 20 °C. It does not tolerate high temperatures well: when the water is heated above 27-28 °C, salamander larvae and adults die, and adults stop feeding already at 25 °C. They don't like direct sunlight.
Land-dwelling adults eat a variety of invertebrates (mainly Lumbricidae, Mollusca, Aranei, Coleoptera and Diptera larvae); in water their food spectrum is narrower (Gastropoda, Daphniidae, Coleoptera and Chironomidae larvae). The diet of adult salamanders varies depending on the biotope. Wintering begins around September-October. The Siberian salamander hibernates in rotten trees, under logs, snags, in burrows, etc., usually in groups of 5-10 (up to 200) individuals, sometimes singly. Wintering places can be located at distances up to 200-500 m from water bodies. Wintering ends in most places in April-early May.

reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs in the 3rd year of life.
For breeding salamanders choose small shaded and clean forest ponds, big rivers and avoids lakes. The timing of reproduction depends on the water temperature (+5-15°C) and by years the initial timing can be shifted by 7-10 days.
During the breeding season, which begins in April - May and lasts in most cases no more than a week, they arrange mating games. The male sits on submerged grass or a branch and takes a mating position: bends the body in a semicircle, with a lowered head and bent tail, and makes rhythmic movements (bends, curls, moves in waves). Periodically, the animal seems to twitch with its whole body, hitting the substrate. If one male swims past another, then the first one bites him with a sharp movement. The female spends most of her time at the bottom. When she rises up and reaches the male, the latter covers her body with his tail, sometimes with the front paws of the female's body below the front legs, while grabbing the female with her teeth by the side. When the female lays eggs, the male sorts through it with his hind legs and, as it were, "pulls" the eggs from the female. Fertilization occurs at this time or immediately after laying. But in many cases, several males swim up to the female at the moment she lays eggs, intertwine around her into one ball. Probably, in such cases, several males are involved in fertilization. The female attaches to the substrate the ends of the egg sacs, which are the first to emerge from her cloaca.
Salamanders are characterized by group reproduction, when most females lay their eggs in a few places for a very short time (sometimes 1-2 nights). Females usually spawn at a depth of 5-50 cm. They choose grass submerged in water as a substrate for clutches. Caviar bags are paired and twisted in a spiral. The total number of eggs, as a rule, is in the range of 150-200. The fertility of the female also varies across the range. It is lowest in the extreme northeast (Chukotka Peninsula: 32-160 eggs per clutch, usually 70-97, versus 38-269 eggs, usually 112-208 eggs in the Middle Urals).
Caviar develops depending on the temperature from 10 to 30 days. Salamander eggs and larvae are extremely sensitive to water pollution.
The first salamander larvae appear in mid-June, unlike adults, they are active during the daytime. The larvae emerging from the eggs have three pairs of external feathery gills, on the forelimbs between the fingers there is a long lobe. Salamander larvae differ from frog tadpoles in having a more elongated body and a narrow rather than round head. Compared to tadpoles, salamander larvae are more cautious, and in danger they go to the depths. Tadpoles feed on small crustaceans, then snails, bivalves and insects. Metamorphosis of the larvae takes 40-50 days. During the period of metamorphosis, the salamander does not stop feeding, although the intensity of feeding is greatly reduced. At the end of metamorphosis, already on land, the larvae consume only land prey. The emergence of young individuals on land occurs in late July - early August.

Keeping Siberian salamanders at home is quite difficult. the main problem is the maintenance of the necessary temperature regime. At 23° salamanders feel bad, and at 29° they die. You can reduce the temperature by spraying the terrarium with cold water. But during the heat, amphibians must be transferred to the refrigerator. The size of the terrarium can be small, so 500 cm² is enough for 1-3 salamanders. An earthen mixture (peat, leaf earth, sand), covered with a layer of moss, is suitable for. The presence of snags, pieces of bark, flat stones will be important. It is necessary to feed the animals in the evening, after the light has been turned off. As suitable bloodworm, tubifex, wood lice and spiders.

Life expectancy - up to 30 years.

The Siberian salamander is the only widespread species living in Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Japan, and throughout Siberia. It crosses the Urals and is known in the Komi ASSR and the Gorky region. In the north it penetrates beyond the Arctic Circle and in the south - into Northern Mongolia, Northeast China and Korea.

Unlike other representatives of this genus, the Siberian salamander has only 4 toes on its hind legs, which is why it is often called a four-toed newt. It has a wide, flattened head, laterally compressed, but devoid of leathery fin folds tail. Its skin is smooth, and on the sides of the body there are 12-15 grooves on each side. The coloration is gray-brown or brownish with small spots and a lighter longitudinal stripe on the back. Adult sizes reach 12-13 cm, but more often they are 8-9 cm, of which less than half falls on the tail (in males it is longer than in females).

The Siberian salamander is closely associated with taiga forests and penetrates into the tundra only through floodplain forests. Interestingly, the southern and, to a large extent, the western boundaries of the distribution of the Siberian salamander coincide with the boundaries of permafrost. Probably, this ancient, primitive newt has survived to this day mainly because it has adapted to life in such harsh conditions, where other tailed amphibians cannot live. It should be said that almost all other species of this family live in the highlands, that is, also in extremely harsh conditions.

Adaptation to life in the permafrost zone consists in the Siberian salamander in a very high resistance to low temperatures. Young salamanders tolerated hypothermia down to -6° in the experiment. It is especially important that at a temperature of 2-4°C above zero, and even at 0°C, salamanders remain active and are able to move.

With the exception of short period breeding, adult newts spend their whole lives on land, in the coastal strip of a reservoir, usually 2-5 m from the water. During the day, they hide under fallen trees, in stumps, under the forest floor, etc. They especially like to hide under sedge hummocks and the lagging bark of dead trees. They do not like direct sunlight and, pulled out into the light, tend to go to a shaded area. With prolonged forced exposure to the sun, they become lethargic, regurgitate food and soon die. At a temperature of about 27 ° they die in the shade. They are most active at dusk and at night, when they feed on terrestrial animals: worms, lung mollusks, and insects.

The Siberian salamander also winters on land, more often in rotting trunks of fallen trees. It was possible to find up to 200 of these animals in the soft and warm dust of dry birch. They crawl into all sorts of cracks and crevices in the soil, sometimes very deep. This is how newts get into the permafrost layer and into the cracks of fossil ice. Cracks are washed with water and clay, soldered, and the animals are thus immured. These "fossil" inhabitants of the permafrost were found during search operations, which misled many people who believed that the age of these newts was equal to the age of fossil ice, i.e., many millennia.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, newts go into the water to breed. Near Sverdlovsk and Tomsk, this happens in late April - early May; at the northern borders of the range - in late May - mid-June. Salamanders prefer small forest reservoirs up to 1-2 m deep, well warmed up. They avoid large lakes and rivers, but are often found in old quarries flooded with groundwater. The temperature in spawning waters during spawning and egg development usually ranges from 4-5° to 12-15°.

Salamanders amicably inhabit reservoirs; their spawning period is rather short, however, different water bodies are not populated simultaneously, and more shaded, cold water bodies are occupied by newts later than well-heated ones.

In males entering the water, the tail swells and a small leathery rim of the tail appears, but the courtship outfit, similar to that of other newts, does not develop. Spawning is immediately preceded by mating games, which consist in the fact that the female, clinging to an underwater plant or snag, makes wave-like body movements, as if dancing in one place. The male or several males simultaneously swim up to the female, swim around her in circles, from time to time touching her cloaca with their muzzle. Soon the female begins to deposit egg bags on the plant or twig where she danced, and the male attaches a spreading sperm bag to the top of the bag. Thus, external fertilization occurs.

Each female lays eggs enclosed in paired oblong, cone-shaped transparent bags, twisted spirally in 1-3 turns. The length of the bag is from 180 to 210 mm, the diameter in the middle part is about 20 mm. One plant or branch can have several pairs of bags belonging to different females. In the mucous sac lie eggs, each of which also has its own mucous membrane. The bag contains from 40 to 125 eggs, more often 80-85. Typically, caviar bags are attached to underwater plants at the very surface of the water and in well-heated and illuminated areas of the reservoir.

Caviar develops for 3-4 weeks, so that in the last days of May - in June, larvae appear that enter the water, breaking through the end of the egg bag. At the time of exit, they have a length of about 10 mm, underdeveloped gills and long perioral suckers. The first few days they are inactive and stay at the bottom. The gills enlarge as they grow, reaching their maximum size after about a month. The larvae become very mobile, they can often be seen at the surface of the water, but when threatened, they hide at the bottom or under floating leaves. The tail of the larvae is trimmed with a low leathery fold, which is higher in the middle of the length of the tail than at the base; the end of the tail is pointed, and on the back a high leathery crest extends forward almost to the front legs. The legs appear at first as well-developed pointed fins, consisting of a main rounded part and a transparent flat top. Inside this latter, fingers are formed. As the fingers develop, the terminal parts of the fin dissolve, and its remnants are preserved only in the form of an insignificant membrane between the fingers. The development of larvae ends in late July - mid-August, and, having reached a length of 30-40 mm, they come ashore. Salamanders reach sexual maturity in the third year of life.

Siberian salamanders are newts belonging to the salamander family. They live in a vast area. Northern part range reaches Yakutia and the Urals. They were found in the tundra, practically in the Arctic Ocean.

The southern part of the range affects the north of 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 fingers on their paws, but there are three- or five-fingered individuals. Such individuals are often distinguished as an independent 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 specks on the body. Although several forms of these newts living in China and Russia have been described, they have not received recognition, therefore, on this moment subspecies of Siberian salamanders are not distinguished.

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 broadleaf. They also come across in villages, 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 the hills overgrown with bamboo, in Mongolia in the steppes near the rivers, and on the Kuril Islands in the craters from air bombs flooded with water.

They mostly prefer bushy or wooded areas, but are also found in open areas.

Lifestyle of Siberian salamanders

The adults lead hidden life, and they are active at dusk or at night, during the day they hide in various shelters. The larvae are active throughout the day.

When the snow begins to melt, salamanders appear on the surface, in different latitude it happens from March to June. A feature of this type of newts is the ability to tolerate low temperatures, they do not lose activity at 0 degrees. Therefore, they can live even at the North Pole.

During the experiments, during which artificial wintering was created, salamanders did not die even at a temperature 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, molluscs, and other invertebrates.

Siberian salamanders leave for wintering in August-November, which depends on the latitude of their habitat. weather conditions. They hibernate under fallen leaves, in empty stumps, deadwood and soil. They may occur singly or in groups. Salamanders hibernate for 5-8 months.

Reproduction of Siberian salamanders

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

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

The clutch of the Siberian salamander has the form of spiral bags that are connected together. Caviar bags are fixed on the stems or branches of plants shallow in the water. Over time, the bags swell and noticeably increase in size. Females bring a different number of eggs - in some cases, there may 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 development of embryos depends on the temperature of the water. Larvae may start hatching in 2-4 weeks, but most often the development process takes 2-3 months. They have well-formed feathery gills, a fin fold, and an oar-like fin appears between the fingers. In the process of 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 lifespan of Siberian salamanders in nature is 13 years.

The number of Siberian salamanders and their conservation status

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

They live in several nature reserves. This species is 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 salamander has a different shape of the tail and teeth.

Siberian salamanders differ from common and crested newts in the presence of 4 fingers on the hind legs, the shape of the palatine teeth, and clearly visible warts on the sides of the body. Siberian salamanders do not identify with other species of tailed reptiles, since they are geographically isolated.

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Already by the name of this animal it becomes clear that it is endemic to the Siberian regions of Russia. However, the halo of 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. At the same time, 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 environmental conditions. He tolerates well low temperatures, and survives well in permafrost conditions. But heat, above 27 degrees, is fatal for him. Even being in the shade, at such a temperature, the newt can die.

What does the Siberian salamander look like?

This is a tailed amphibian, belonging to the salamander family, with a rather original, heterogeneous body color, in which brown color tones predominate, with numerous divorces. At the same time, the same brown color, depending on the habitat of the newt, 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-fingered paws, a flattened head. Although, about the number of fingers on the paws, there is a little intrigue. They don't have to be four. There are individuals with three and five fingers. The body is crowned with a long and flat tail. The newt itself grows in length no more than 13 centimeters.

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 the onset of dusk. The newt avoids direct sunlight, due to the rapid drying of the skin. This makes him extremely lethargic and slow. With prolonged exposure to the sun, the newt dies.

The salamander larvae behave quite 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 frosty days the larvae enter a period of suspended animation, just like the newts themselves. Around the end of November, they begin to look for a secluded place for wintering. They can burrow into the fallen leaves of trees, hide in deadwood, build a shelter under old rotten stumps, use abandoned rodent burrows, 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 heat, the triton is selected to the surface. He is not afraid of short-term frosts and zero temperatures. There are cases when Siberian salamanders calmly endured temperatures down to minus forty degrees. With such a test, their body coped well.

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

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