Guichenot, 1850] (Amphibia: Salamandridae) in Algeria, with a New Elevational Record for the Species
Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 927-931 (2021) (published online on 24 June 2021) A new provincial record and an updated distribution map for Pleurodeles nebulosus [Guichenot, 1850] (Amphibia: Salamandridae) in Algeria, with a new elevational record for the species Idriss Bouam1,* and Salim Merzougui2 Pleurodeles Michahelles, 1830, commonly known (1885) noted its presence, very probably mistakenly, as ribbed newts, is an endemic genus of the Ibero- from Biskra, which is an arid region located south of the Maghrebian region, with three species described: P. Saharan Atlas and is abiotically unsuitable for this newt nebulosus (Guichenot, 1850), P. poireti (Gervais, species (see Ben Hassine and Escoriza, 2017; Achour 1835), and P. waltl Michahelles, 1830 (Frost, 2021). and Kalboussi, 2020). We here report the presence of a Pleurodeles nebulosus is an Algero-Tunisian endemic seemingly well-established population of P. nebulosus restricted to a very narrow latitudinal range. It is found in the province of Bordj Bou Arreridj and provide (i) throughout the humid, sub-humid and, to a lesser the first record of the species for this province, thereby extent, semi-arid areas of the northern parts of the extending its known geographic distributional range; two countries, excluding the Edough Peninsula and its (ii) the highest-ever reported elevational record for the surrounding lowlands in northeastern Algeria, where species; and (iii) an updated distribution map of this it is replaced by its sister species P. poireti (Carranza species in Algeria. and Wade, 2004; Escoriza and Ben Hassine, 2019). On 28 April 2020, at 15:30 h, S.M. encountered an Until the end of the 20th century, the known localities individual Pleurodeles nebulosus (Fig.
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