Ommatotriton ophryticus
species of amphibian

Ommatotriton ophryticus, the northern banded newt, is a species of newt in the family Salamandridae. It is found in northeastern Turkey and western Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia, and southern Russia.
Taxonomy
Ommatotriton ophryticus has been considered a subspecies of Ommatotriton vittatus, but in 2005 Litvinchuk and colleagues raised it to full species status. They also described a new subspecies under this taxon, Triturus ophryticus nesterovi, now recognized as a separate species Ommatotriton nesterovi.
Description
The tail is about the same length as the body and head. The limbs and digits are long, more so in males. Skin is almost smooth to slightly granular. During the terrestrial phase, the dorsum is reddish. During the aquatic phase, the dorsal and lateral surfaces are bronze-olive or olive-brown; there are small dark points on the back and a light band on flanks bordered with dark stripes. The belly is immaculate yellow to orange.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Ommatotriton ophryticus” is species of amphibian. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Ommatotriton, ophryticus and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of amphibian” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2006770. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2005.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Ommatotriton ophryticus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Ommatotriton ophryticus primary sources, Ommatotriton ophryticus archive and Ommatotriton research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Ommatotriton ophryticus”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Ommatotriton ophryticus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.