Veresuhkur

Veresuhkur is a small, semi‑aquatic vertebrate that inhabits the temperate wetlands of Eurasia. First documented by European naturalists in the early 19th century, the species received its name from the Slavic word “verjo” meaning “small” and the German “suhkur,” a local term for a kind of frog. Morphologically, Veresuhkur resembles a cross between a common frog and a salamander, possessing a slender body, webbed feet, and a dorsal pattern of pale green blotches that provide camouflage against the pondweed and reeds. The species grows to an average length of 12 to 15 centimeters and weighs roughly 50 grams.

Veresuhkur feeds primarily on aquatic invertebrates, such as insect larvae and small crustaceans, and is known to partake in occasional terrestrial foraging on leaves and fallen fruit. Reproduction takes place from late spring to early summer, during which a male will hold a female in a coiled position for internal fertilisation; after gestation, the pair will deposit a clutch of up to thirty eggs in shallow depressions on moist mud. The eggs hatch after three weeks, and the resulting tadpoles undergo incomplete metamorphosis, retaining some larval features into adulthood. Conservation status is currently listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although habitat loss due to wetland drainage remains a potential threat.