A precipitous decline of the Algerian Newt Pleurodeles poireti Gervais, 1835 and other changes in the status of amphibians ofNumidia, North-Eastern Algeria

Abstract

The worldwide erosion of biological diversity has not spared amphibians which are amongst the most affected taxa with numerous extinct or near-extinct species. Our knowledge of the status and ecology of amphibians of Algeria is still limited whereas local natural habitats are fast disappearing under a strong anthropogenic pressure. Eighty two localities were sampled between 1996 and 2010, to survey the amphibian community within Numidia, North-Eastern Algeria. Nine species, three Urodeles (Pleurodeles poireti, Pleurodeles nebulosus and Salamandra algira and six Anurans (Bufo bufo spinosus, Bufo mauritanicus, Bufo viridis, Discoglossus pictus, Hyla meridionalis and Pelophylax saharicus) were found within the region. Results suggest a marked, rapid and unexplained crash of the Algerian Newt Pleurodeles poireti, a species endemic to a small area in and around Djebel Edough (Annaba). Information on the status (abundance and distribution) of each recorded taxon is provided and conservation measures are discussed in the light of an apparent local decline of Anurans and the vulnerability of three species (S. algira, P. nebulosus and B. bufo spinosus).

Good news from newts: distribution, population size, and dynamics of two protected newt species in the Jiu Gorge National Park, Romania

“…Although numerous recent studies clearly indicated that newts are in an obvious decline (e.g., Denoël, 2012;Samraoi et al, 2012;Arntzen et al, 2017;von Bülow and Kupfer, 2019;Falaschi et al, 2022), our results indicated that in JGNP both species register important increases in their populations. Thus, in the habitat from Comandă, T. cristatus population increased by 1.80 times in 10 years, and L. vulgaris population increased by 2.58 in the same time interval, compared with the previous data (Dobre et al, 2009).…”

“…Thus, in northern Italy, in the case of two newt species, the population reduction was between 57% and 63% and was caused in the first place by invasive fish and crayfish (Falaschi et al, 2022). Besides these, there are other studies that document reductions in newt populations (e.g., Griffiths et al, 2010;Samraoi et al, 2012;Arntzen et al, 2017;Sinsch et al, 2018;von Bülow and Kupfer, 2019). Nevertheless, newts decline seems to be more documented in Western Europe (see Denoël, 2012).…”

Diversity, distribution, and conservation of the Trichoptera and their habitats in north‐eastern Algeria

“…Furthermore, the area is rich in micro‐endemics such as the Edough ribbed newt, Pleurodeles poireti (Gervais, 1835), the Algerian ribbed newt, Pleurodeles nebulosus (Guichenot, 1850), and the Endangered minnow Pseudophoxinus punicus (Pellegrin, 1920) (García et al, 2010; Samraoui et al, 2012). Similarly, a suite of micro‐endemic stoneflies (Yasri‐Cheboubi, Vinçon & Lounaci, 2013; Yasri‐Cheboubi, Vinçon & Lounaci, 2016) and mayflies (Samraoui et al, 2021; Kaltenbach et al, 2022) are present in the area.…”