Eastern Crested Newt
Triturus karelinii
A crested newt of western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia.
Overview
What is Eastern Crested Newt
The eastern crested newt (Triturus karelinii) is biologically confirmed. It belongs to the T. cristatus complex and was formerly treated as a subspecies of T. cristatus. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: found throughout western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia. Barcoded specimens are from Gogni and Tskaltubo. The checklist figure is Tkibuli.
Last updated
Identification
How to identify Eastern Crested Newt
A crested newt. Formerly a subspecies of T. cristatus; found in western Georgia and the eastern forest belt.
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Triturus; a member of the T. cristatus complex.
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Western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia.
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Barcodes: Gogni, Tskaltubo; figure: Tkibuli.
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Not Lissotriton or Ommatotriton.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Eastern Crested Newt.
Yes. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as biologically confirmed. It occurs throughout western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia.
Gogni and Tskaltubo. The checklist figure is Tkibuli.
This is Triturus (crested newt), not Lissotriton or Ommatotriton. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of T. cristatus.
Site classification: Harmless. Venom: none.
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- AmphibiaWeb
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
