List of amphibians of Bulgaria

This is a complete list of the amphibians of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is inhabited by 20 amphibian species, which makes the amphibians the least diverse class of vertebrates in the country.^[1] They include seven species of newts and salamanders from a single family, Salamandridae, as well as 13 frog and toad species from five families — Bombinatoridae, Bufonidae, Hylidae, Pelobatidae and Ranidae. The most recently classified species are the northern crested newt, identified in 2005,^[2] and the Macedonian crested newt, identified in 2007.^[3] Some of the most common species include the European green toad, yellow-bellied toad, and marsh frog.

List of species

Order Caudata

Family Salamandridae

Salamandridae, or true salamanders, are a family of terrestrial and aquatic salamanders, mostly distributed in Asia and Europe, although some species are found in North Africa and North America. Most species have slightly toxic skin secretions and many develop dorsal body and tail fins when they return to an aquatic stage. There are 109 species in 21 genera; of them, seven species in four genera are found in Bulgaria.^[4]

Salamandridae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Statusa[›]	Image
Lissotriton vulgaris	smooth newt	The species is found in the whole country, up to 1500 m altitude.[5]	LC [6]
Mesotriton alpestris	Alpine newt	Most common in the Rila and western Rhodope Mountains; isolated populations in the western Balkan Mountains, central Sredna Gora and Osogovo.[1]	LC [7]
Salamandra salamandra	fire salamander	Moist wooded areas in the mountains, mostly absent from the Danubian Plain and the Upper Thracian Plain.[8]	LC [9]
Triturus cristatus	northern crested newt	The species was first discovered in Bulgaria in 2005. It is found in the western Balkan Mountains near Vratsa which is its southernmost locality.[2][10][11]	LC [12]
Triturus dobrogicus	Danube crested newt	The species occurs in the Danube river and the lower course of its tributaries.[13]	NT [14]
Triturus karelinii	southern crested newt	The species is common in the country up to 1500 m altitude. It is absent from the Danube river and the lower course of its tributaries.[15]	LC [16]
Triturus macedonicus	Macedonian crested newt	Slavyanka mountain in south-western Bulgaria.[3]	NE

Order Anura

Family Bombinatoridae

Bombinatoridae are an Old World toad family often referred to as fire-bellied toads because of their brightly coloured ventral sides which demonstrates their high toxicity. It includes ten species in two genera, Barbourula and Bombina, both of which have flattened bodies, of which two species from genus Bombina occur in Bulgaria.^[17]

Bombinatoridae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Bombina bombina	European fire-bellied toad	The species is found the lowlands of the country, up to 250 m altitude: the Danube and Upper Thracian Plains and the Black Sea Coast.[18]	LC [19]
Bombina variegata	yellow-bellied toad	Common species in the lower mountains, up to 2000 m altitude (in Pirin and the Balkan Mountains).[20]	LC [21]

Family Bufonidae

Bufonidae are a family of toads native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Bufonidae include the typical toads with shortened forelimbs, hindlimbs used for walking or hopping, dry warty skin, and parotoid glands behind eyes. The family contains 590 species in 50 genera, of which 2 species from genus Bufo are found in Bulgaria.^[22]

Bufonidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Bufo bufo	common toad	The species is found all over the country, up to 1300 m altitude, with the exception of Pirin, where it has been recorder at 1960 m.[23]	LC [24]
Bufo viridis	European green toad	The species is found all over the country, up to 1200 m altitude. It has been recorded in Rila at an altitude of 2000 m.[25]	LC [26]

Family Hylidae

Hylidae or tree frogs are the most diverse amphibian family with worldwide distribution. Most species inhabit tropical areas with warm and humid climate, especially the Neotropics. Hylids range from small to large in size and usually have distinct adhesive toe discs that contain a cartilage offsetting the terminal phalanx, which aids in climbing. There are 951 species in 51 genera. Only one genus, Hyla, is found in Europe, and one species occurs in Bulgaria.^[27]

Hylidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Hyla arborea	European tree frog	The species is found all over the country, up to 1300 m altitude. It has been recorded in Rila at an altitude of 2300 m.[28]	LC [29]

Family Pelobatidae

Pelobatidae, also known as spadefoot toads, are a small family of frogs with one genus and four species spread in Europe, Western Asia and North-western Africa. They have short legs, stocky bodies with vertical pupils and produce an odour similar to garlic, hence their name in Bulgarian is чесновица (chesnovica), 'garlic toad'. Two of the four species inhabit the country.^[30]

Pelobatidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Pelobates fuscus	common spadefoot	The species is found in the areas along the Danube river, the northernmost Black Sea coast, as well as in isolated populations in Sofia Valley.[31]	LC [32]
Pelobates syriacus	eastern spadefoot toad	The species is found in the areas along the Danube river, the whole Black Sea coast, the Upper Thracian Plain and the southern Struma valley.[31]	LC [33]

Family Ranidae

Ranidae are a widespread family also known as true frogs. They have generalized frog body plans and a generalized aquatic tadpole stage. The family includes 379 species in 14 genera, of which six species in two genera occur in Bulgaria.^[34]

Ranidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Pelophylax kl. esculentus	edible frog	The species is found along the Danube river and the lower course of its tributaries, as well as along the Black Sea coast.[35]	LC [36]
Pelophylax lessonae	pool frog	Westernmost areas along the Bulgarian Danube bank.[37]	LC [38]
Pelophylax ridibundus	marsh frog	The species is found all over the country, up to 1300 m altitude. It has been recorded in Belasitsa at an altitude of 2000 m.[39]	LC [40]
Rana dalmatina	agile frog	The species is found all over the country, up to 1200 m altitude, with singular records up to 2000 m.[41]	LC [42]
Rana graeca	Greek stream frog	The species occurs in south-western Bulgaria.[43]	LC [44]
Rana temporaria	common frog	The species is found mostly in the mountains, between 1000 and 2000 m altitude: Balkan Mountains, Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, Osogovo, Rhodope Mountains.[45]	LC [46]

See also

• Geography of Bulgaria
• List of birds of Bulgaria
• List of mammals of Bulgaria
• List of reptiles of Bulgaria
• List of protected areas of Bulgaria

Footnotes

Notes

^ a: Conservation status at a world level (not exclusive to Bulgaria) of the species according to the IUCN Red List: Conservation status - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

 EX  - Extinct,  EW  - Extinct in the wild

 CR  - Critically endangered,  EN  - Endangered,  VU  - Vulnerable

 NT  - Near threatened,  LC  - Least concern

 DD  - Data deficient,  NE  - Not evaluated

Citations

References

Sources

• Biserkov, V. (2007). Определител на земноводните и влечугите в България (A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Bulgaria) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Зелени Балкани (Green Balkans). ISBN 978-954-9433-07-4. 
• Beshkov, Vladimir; Nanev, Krastyo (2002). Земноводни и влечуги в България (Amphibians and Reptiles of Bulgaria) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Пенсофт (Pensoft). ISBN 954-642-147-2. 

External links

• Naumov, B.; Stanchev, M. "Amphibians and reptiles of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula" (in Bulgarian). An online edition of the Bulgarian Herpetological Society. Retrieved 13 March 2015. 
• Mazzei, P. "Amphibians and reptiles of Europe". Retrieved 13 March 2015. 
• "AmphibiaWeb". Retrieved 13 March 2015. 
• "The IUNC List of Threatened Species". Retrieved 13 March 2015.