Vol. 10 No. 2 (2015)
Short Note

Malformations and body injuries in a hybrid zone of crested newts (Caudata: Salamandridae: <em>Triturus cristatus</em> superspecies)

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  • Zdeněk Mačát,
  • Lenka Jeřábková,
  • Antonín Reiter,
  • Martin Rulík,
  • Daniel Jablonski
Zdeněk Mačát
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Lenka Jeřábková
Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Kaplanova 1931/1, 14800, Praha 11 - Chodov, Czech Republic
Antonín Reiter
South Moravian Museum in Znojmo, Přemyslovců 8, 66945, Znojmo, Czech Republic
Martin Rulík
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Palacký University in Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Daniel Jablonski
Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B-1, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-16194

Published 2015-12-29

How to Cite

Mačát, Z., Jeřábková, L., Reiter, A., Rulík, M., & Jablonski, D. (2015). Malformations and body injuries in a hybrid zone of crested newts (Caudata: Salamandridae: <em>Triturus cristatus</em> superspecies). Acta Herpetologica, 10(2), 135–141. https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-16194
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Abstract

Morphological abnormalities occur frequently in wild amphibian populations. We analysed malformation and injuries in the hybrid zone of three crested newt species, in the Czech Republic. In total, 274 individuals from 35 localities in South Moravia (Czech Republic) were examined during the period 2010-2014. Malformations were found in eight newts (2.9%) from seven localities. Injuries were recorded on 59 newts (21.5%). Proportions of tail crest injuries was significantly higher (P ˂ 0.1) in males than in females and the probability of being injured was significantly higher (P ˂ 0.01) for adult individuals. We discuss gene mutation, parasitism and predation as possible explanations for our observations.

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