The Zavitan Stream (also spelled Zvitan or Zavit) is one of the principal tributaries of the Yehudiya drainage system in the central Levant Region (Syria-Lebanon-Israel). Syria, Lebanon, and Israel belong primarily to the Levantine subregion of the Eastern Mediterranean biogeographical province, which forms part of the Palearctic Realm ([1]; [21]). In classical zoogeographical terminology, this area is often referred to as the Syro-Levantine region or Levantine corridor, a transitional zone between the Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, and Saharo-Arabian biogeographic regions ([15]; [24]). The term Levant Corridor is especially important in zoology and paleo-biogeography, as it describes the main dispersal route between Africa and Eurasia during the Neogene and Quaternary periods ([20]). The fauna of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel belongs primarily to the Levantine subregion of the Eastern Mediterranean province within the Palearctic Realm. This area represents a major biogeographical transition zone and dispersal corridor between Afro-tropical, Irano-Turanian, and Mediterranean faunal elements ([15]; [24]; [1]; [17]).

The stream drains a basaltic plateau formed by extensive Miocene-Pliocene volcanic activity and flows westward toward the upper Jordan River basin. The sector located near Katzrin represents a geomorphologically and ecologically distinctive segment characterized by deeply incised canyons, perennial spring inputs, seasonal runoff pulses, and a mosaic of aquatic and riparian habitats. The geomorphology of the Zavitan basin is controlled primarily by basaltic bedrock, tectonic uplift, and fluvial incision processes. The hard basalt substrate promotes waterfall formation, plunge pools, and narrow canyon morphology, while joints and fractures facilitate groundwater recharge and spring emergence ([19]; [13]). The hydrological regime of the stream is Mediterranean, with most discharge occurring during winter precipitation events (November-March), followed by substantial reduction in flow during the dry summer season. However, localized perennial flow is maintained in certain reaches due to spring discharge and groundwater seepage, particularly within shaded canyon sections ([9]; [25]).

Water quality in northern Israeli basaltic streams is generally characterized by moderate conductivity, circumneutral to slightly alkaline pH, and relatively low nutrient concentrations compared to lowland agricultural streams ([9]; [25]). Nevertheless, seasonal fluctuations in temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient availability occur due to hydrological variability and increasing anthropogenic pressures, including tourism and land-use change in the Katzrin region. Such limnological variability directly influences aquatic community structure, especially macroinvertebrates, fish, and amphibians.

Riparian vegetation along the Zavitan sector near Katzrin reflects the transition between open basalt plateau vegetation and canyon-confined Mediterranean woodland. The plateau is typically dominated by Mount Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis) associations and shrubland elements, while the canyon bottom supports hygrophilous vegetation including Nerium oleander, Salix spp. and Phragmites australis in wetter microsites ([26]; [2]). This structural heterogeneity provides critical habitat for amphibians and other vertebrates.

Amphibian assemblages in the central Levant Region are shaped by hydroperiod, water permanence, temperature regime, and habitat connectivity ([9]; [16]). Streams and associated rock pools within the Zavitan drainage may support species such as the Levant water frog (Pelophylax bedriagae), the Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) and the green toad complex (Bufotes viridisgroup), depending on hydro ecological conditions and seasonal water persistence. The canyon pools serve as breeding sites or larval development habitats ([8]), while adjacent terrestrial habitats provide refugia during dry periods. Because Mediterranean streams are highly sensitive to climatic variability, amphibian populations in these systems may serve as biological indicators of hydrological stability and ecosystem integrity ([3]).

The Katzrin-Zavitan sector is also embedded within the broader Yehudiya Nature Reserve landscape, an area of high conservation value that supports diverse reptile, bird, and mammalian communities. Increasing recreational use, climate warming trends, and altered precipitation regimes may influence stream discharge patterns, pool permanence, and amphibian reproductive success in the coming decades ([25]). Therefore, a synthesis of geological, hydrological, limnological, and biological information specific to the Zavitan stream sector near Katzrin is essential for understanding ecosystem function and guiding conservation management.

The aim of the present observation was to investigate the ecological conditions, with particular emphasis on water temperature, in a small water pool located along the Zavitan Stream near Katzrin (Central Golan Heights, Israel). The study also sought to document the amphibian species present in this pool and to compare their occurrence with the amphibian community known from the surrounding region.

The present study provides a focused ecological assessment of a seasonal pool located within the Zavitan (Zvitan) Stream drainage near Katzrin in the central Golan Heights. The results indicate that this pool functions as a typical Mediterranean temporary wetland, characterized by winter inundation, gradual warming during spring, and complete desiccation by midsummer. Such seasonal hydrological dynamics are characteristic of Mediterranean temporary freshwater systems, where precipitation during winter leads to the formation of ephemeral aquatic habitats that gradually dry during the warm and dry summer months ([10]; [23]). Similar hydrological regimes have been documented in basaltic landscapes of northern Israel and the Golan Heights, where winter rainfall and impermeable basaltic substrates promote the formation of temporary pools and streamside wetlands ([13]; [19]). These environmental conditions play an important ecological role in supporting amphibian breeding activity and diverse assemblages of aquatic invertebrates typical of Mediterranean temporary waters ([10]; [24]).

The hydroperiod extended from January until July 2025, indicating a relatively prolonged water retention phase compared to shallow ephemeral depressions in more arid zones of northern Israel ([8]). Water temperature ranged between 14.8˚C and 21.3˚C, with gradual seasonal warming. Such temperature ranges fall within the optimal developmental window for most Mediterranean anuran larvae, facilitating rapid growth prior to desiccation ([4]). The progressive increase in ambient temperature (up to 32˚C) likely accelerated evaporation and contributed to the contraction of aquatic habitat during late spring. In Mediterranean temporary systems, shortening hydroperiods are known to impose strong selective pressures on larval growth rate, metamorphic timing, and survival ([11]; [4]). The complete desiccation observed in July confirms that successful recruitment depends on the synchronization between breeding phenology and hydroperiod length. The amphibian community structure previously described for the Golan Heights by [8] allowed comparison between earlier observations and the results obtained in the present study. Some species previously reported from this area were not detected during the present survey. In particular, the banded newt (Ommatotriton vittatus), which had been recorded in the region, was not observed in the studied pool. This absence may reflect several limiting ecological factors. Firstly, the pool posed a Hydroperiod limitation. While the lentic environment persisted until July, the site may lack the requisite depth stability necessary to support the prolonged larval development characteristic of urodeles. Secondly, Banded newts often prefer shaded, spring-fed, or semi-permanent pools within canyon systems, a profile that contrasts with the more exposed nature of the current site. ([6]). The Zvitan-Katzrin pool represents an intermediate ecological unit within the broader Zavitan drainage system. While canyon sections of the stream may maintain semi-permanent water through spring discharge, plateau pools such as the one studied here function as seasonal breeding sites primarily for anurans.

The absence of urodeles and the dominance of anuran larvae reinforce the importance of hydroperiod duration and habitat structure in shaping amphibian assemblages in the central Golan Heights. Temporary pools serve as critical reproductive habitats for many amphibian species but are highly sensitive to interannual climatic variability. These ephemeral wetlands typically depend on winter precipitation and seasonal hydrological cycles to maintain water availability during the larval development period ([10]; [23]). Even modest reductions in winter rainfall or increases in spring temperature can substantially shorten the hydroperiod of temporary pools, thereby reducing the time available for larval growth and metamorphosis and consequently decreasing larval survival probability ([18]; [22]). Such hydrological instability is a characteristic feature of Mediterranean climate regions, where amphibian reproductive success is closely linked to the duration and persistence of temporary aquatic habitats ([10]).

The Zavitan-Katzrin seasonal pool functions as an ecologically active temporary wetland supporting diverse aquatic invertebrates and successful anuran reproduction during its hydroperiod. The absence of banded newts suggests habitat-specific constraints or distributional fragmentation within the central Golan Heights.

Hydrological regime, temperature patterns, and vegetation structure collectively determine amphibian assemblages in this system. Given the sensitivity of Mediterranean temporary wetlands to climatic variability, the studied pool provides a valuable baseline for future ecological monitoring and conservation planning within the Zavitan Stream basin.

Monika Almozlino - Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Visualization, Project administration, Formal analysis.

Gad Degani - Writing - review & editing, Supervision, Conceptualization, Project administration, Investigation, Resources, Funding acquisition.

Dani Bercovich - Writing - review & editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition, Project administration.

Ari Meerson - Writing - review & editing, Supervision.

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

The authors thank Yehonatan Almozlino and Avner Man for their assistance and collaboration during ecological fieldwork.

This research of short communication was supported by internal grants from MIGAL - Galilee Research Institute and Tel-Hai University, Kiryat Shmona, Israel.