Operation to release about 400 adult newts in the Nahal Bethlehem area

For a year, researchers from the zoological garden at Tel Aviv University raised newts, a critically endangered amphibian species in Israel, which were saved in an operation about a year ago. Their descendants were released today.

About 400 adult newts were released yesterday in the Nahal Bethlehem area, as part of a joint project of Tel Aviv University and the Nature and Parks Authority, after they were rescued about a year ago in a special rescue project.

As a reminder, in the spring of 2013 Tel Aviv University researchers rescued newts (Striped newt, Triturus vittatus) and tadpoles (Cat's eye tadpole, Pelobates syriacus) from the zoological garden, two species that are in serious danger of extinction in Israel. The tritons were in the area where the winter puddle known as the "checkpost braid puddle" is located north of Haifa, where a 'Big' shopping complex is currently being built.

This puddle was a unique moist habitat, and the only and last known site from the Zebulun Valley where newts are found. A genetic study of the population of the excavations at the site revealed that it is a unique haplotype, found at this site and only one other site. Also, this is the site from which the species was first described, and is the type locality of the species.

The Zoological Garden at Tel Aviv University has been involved in establishing a newt and burrowing breeding nucleus led by Prof. Nega Kronfeld-Shor and student Yael Balon and in collaboration with the Science Division of the Nature and National Parks Authority and Dr. Sharig Gafni from Rupin College. For the purpose of establishing the nucleus, about 400 tadpoles and about 100 newt tadpoles were collected from the puddle at the checkpoint junction.

As for the newts, Prof. Nega Kronfeld says that towards the end of January, about half of the individuals began to change their color, shape and behavior, spots appeared and the development of a ridge on the back of the males and many individuals spent a long time in the water vessels - changes that indicate reproductive activity. Therefore, at the beginning of February, 35 individuals, which appeared to have breeding potential (males and females), were transferred to aquariums with a suitable breeding habitat - access to water, aquatic vegetation and access to land. After a little more than a week, eggs began to appear in the vegetation in both aquariums, and in March the first newt tadpole appeared swimming in the water. He was joined by about 400 other newts, the descendants of the nucleus. These Tritons have been incarnated, and are now ready for release. In cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority, they will be released as mentioned today in the Nahal Bethlehem area.

Prof. Kronfeld further points out that, although past experience shows that the long-term breeding and reproduction of these amphibians in captivity is extremely difficult, fortunately, during the past year there was a very low mortality of individuals of both sexes, and all individuals underwent reincarnation. Today, there are about 400 diggers in the nucleus that have undergone metamorphosis but have not yet reached sexual maturity. These details are expected to reach maturity within one to two years, then it will be possible to release excavations as well.