Assessing the Abundance of Caucasian Salamander, Mertensiella caucasica (Caudata, Salamandridae), with N-mixture Model in Northeastern Anatolia

Abstract

The endangered Caucasian salamander, Mertensiella caucasica (Waga, 1876), is endemic to the western Lesser Caucasus. Here, we used N-mixed models to analyse repeated count data of Caucasian salamanders from the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. We estimated a mean detection probability of 0.29, a population size of 21 individuals, and a range of 9 to 36 individuals per 20 × 10 m plot. Our results provide preliminary data on the population status of the Caucasian salamander in northeastern Anatolia. These results would contribute to the effective management and conservation of the species.

Keywords

• abundance estimation
• caucasian salamander
• mertensiella caucasica
• turkey