Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 84, December 2008, pp. 1-18. | Page 2

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Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland,
rivers, and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss and is classified as being in
danger of extinction.
In Palestine, it lives in Al-Matalla, Safad, Beit Orben, Tal Al-Qadi, Tarshiha, Kherbet
Sumaqa, Wadi Karkara, Harfeesh, and Gaza Strip.

Near Eastern Fire Salamander, Palestine. Foto: Rei Segali, 2005.
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo11549.htm
2. Southern Banded Newt or Triton (Triturus vittatus, Triton vittatus or
Ommatotriton vittatus Gray In Jenyns 1853):
The Southern Banded Newt is a species of salamander in the Salamandridae family. It is
found in Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Russian Federation, Syria,
Turkey.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate grassland, rivers, intermittent rivers,
freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent
freshwater marshes, caves, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, urban areas, ponds,
aquaculture ponds, open excavations, and canals and ditches. It is threatened by habitat
loss.
Two subspecies occur in the region: Triturus vittatus chuldaensis (Bodenheimer, 1926)
from Khulda/Hulda, central Palestine; and Triturus vittatus excubitor (Wolterstorff,
1905) from the border area between Syria and Lebanon.
In Palestine, it lives in Rubin River, Ayn Bura, Al-Ouja River, Malbes, Kherbet Om AlToot, Naqab/Negev, Al-Jaleel/Galilee, and Lake Tabaria/Tiberius.

Gazelle – Number 84 – December 2008