A New Record of the Kurdistan Newt (Neurergus derjugini) in Iran and Potential Distribution Modeling for the Species

A. V. Barabanov, S. N. Litvinchuk

Abstract


The Kurdistan newt (Neurergus derjugini) is distributed in the Zagros Mountains in north-eastern Iraq and western Iran. We described a new record of the species in the vicinity of Baneh town (Kurdistan Province, Iran). We developed a Species Distribution Model based on environmental data for identification of suitable habitats of the species. Four climatic variables associated with temperature and precipitation accounted for 92.1% of the predicted range. The species was recorded in mountains in altitudes from 700 to 2100 meters above sea level. The model for N. derjugini demonstrated some niche overlaps with models for neighboring species, N. crocatus and N. microspilotus.

Keywords


Amphibia; Salamandridae; distribution model; Maxent modeling; ecological niche overlap

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2015-22-2-107-115

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