O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 21. (Budapest, 1982)

Alekperov, A. M.: The present state of rare and threatened species and subspecies of herpetofauna in Azerbaidzhan 19-24. o.

AMPHIBIA Tríturus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The subspecies Trlturus vulgaris lantz

l (Wolt.) in Azerbaidzhan lives and its populations are decreasing in size. It is found in the Lenkoran district, i.e. in south-east of the republic. The smooth newt inhabits small and medium-sized standing or slow flowing waters and rice plantations in the zone of flatlands. and foreland forests. Prior to 1974 it was found singly but in that year a small pond in the Isty-Su district accomodated about three dozen individuals of this newt subspecies (ALEKPEROV 1964, VELIEVA 1974). The females lay eggs in April and May. After that the newts leave the water and concentrate in wet places cm the shore. In day-time they lie in hiding under fallen trunks, punks, forest litter, etc. Their potential enemies are the ringed snake and water-birds. The decrease of its populations Is caused by the dessication of waters and by the reduction of rice plantation areas. Particular conservation measures for the smooth newt have not been elaborated for the moment. The small waters of the Lenkoran district inhabited by newts should be taken under natural conservancy. Trlturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) The subspecies Trlturus cristatus karelini

i (Strauch) lives in Azerbaidzhan. It is found sporadically in the south-east (Lenkoran district) and on south-eastern slopes of Great Caucasus. The warty newt shows diurnal activity. As a rule, it Inhabits woodland, forest-steppe, and mountain-steppe zones at altitudes of 600-2000 m above sea level, which are rich both in temporary and permanent waters. This newt subspecies prefers small lakelets, ponds, tarns with clear standing water of a temperature of 12 to 20 degrees centigrades and overgrown with aquatic plants. In the spring or in the first half of the summer it lives in water and only at the end of July or at the beginning of August goes ashore, where one can find it in wet grassy places under litter or hay, between roots of trees or In decaying trunks where it hibernates as well. It swims and digs well but on terrain moves very slowly and totterlly. It Is active from March to September. In October it begins to hibernate. Its basic diet consists of various kinds of invertebrates. The egg-laying period begins at the end of April and continues to the end of May but developing tadpoles may be observable from early June. Warty newts were detected in stomach contents of common and ringed snakes and of waterbirds. Decrease in the size of warty newt populations is caused by dessication of lakes and ponds (ALEKPEROV 1964, VELIEVA 1974). Particular conservation measures for warty newt are not elaborated as yet. Petobates syriacus Boettger, 1889 It is a Caucasian endemic with decline in population size, occurring sporadically In southeastern Azerbaidzhan and in Nakhitshevan ASSR (BANNIKOV et al. 1977, PAP ANY AN 1956, VELIEVA 1974). It inhabits semi-deserts and very infrequently mountain steppes, and the shores of temporary and permanent waters. It has been recorded also in abandoned irrigation canals. This frog lives on soft grounds but it is able to exists on hard stony soils, too. Leading a hidden nocturnal mode of life, it passes the daytime burrowed In the ground or uuder stones (ALEKPEROV 1978, BANNIKOV et al. 1977, DAREVSKIÏ 1975, PAPANYAN 1956). Breeding in this species is quite obscure. The egg-laying period takes place from the second half of March to May. From about the middle of June, in the south-east of the republic wellgrown tadpoles with body-lengths of 90-110 mm may be encountered. Decrease in the size of its populations are caused by the extention of agricultural areas, by drying out and ploughing up of its natural habitats. This species Is under protection in the KizilAgatsh Natural Conservancy Area and has been entered into the Red Book of USSR. Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) In Azerbaidzhan rare is the only subspecies Bufo bufo verrueostssimu

s (Pall.) It may be found in the Lenkoran district and on the south slopes of the Great Caucasus. It inhabits the edges and