Gold stripe salamander
| Gold stripe salamander | ||||||||||||
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Chioglossa lusitanica |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Chioglossa | ||||||||||||
| Bocage , 1864 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Chioglossa lusitanica | ||||||||||||
| Bocage , 1864 |
The gold-striped salamander ( Chioglossa lusitanica ) is a salamander from the family of the Real Salamander and constitutes the only kind of the genus Chioglossa .
features
It is a dainty country salamander with a strikingly long tail. This can make up to two thirds of the total length of a maximum of 16 centimeters and serves as a nutrient store. In the event of danger, it can be thrown off like a lizard . The slender, smooth-skinned trunk has 10 to 12 weakly developed rib furrows on the sides. Protruding, large "frog eyes" and clearly pronounced ear glands show up on the elongated, rounded head.
On an almost black basic color there are two golden yellow to copper colored (in young animals: reddish) longitudinal stripes, which are separated by a dark eel line in the middle. They extend from the ear glands over the back, connect at the base of the tail and continue connected to the tip of the tail. The underside is dark gray, in the area of the throat light blue to light gray.
Occurrence and habitat
This salamander is native to a relatively small area in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula . In particular, the Spanish provinces of Asturias and Galicia as well as north-western and central Portugal are settled. It lives in mountainous regions with Atlantic climatic conditions (mild winters, high rainfall; here: more than 1000 millimeters per year) at altitudes up to a maximum of 1200 meters. Deciduous forests with stream valleys are inhabited there. The species is often associated with the fire salamander , which prefers similar habitats .
Way of life
The gold stripe salamander is active in rainy weather and at night, in caves also during the day; otherwise it hides under stones, plant roots and dead wood. In dry summers, the animals also spend weeks of inactivity in always moist shelters. Such hiding places are also used for wintering in December and January, but this is not mandatory.
The salamander prey on food animals, especially spiders and insects, with the help of its tongue. To do this, it moves towards the prey and flings out the tongue, which is provided with a pincer-like adhesive device. Larger animals are also grabbed directly with the jaws. The optical sense plays an important role in the hunt and is very well developed for tails.
From predators, which include other amphibian species and various snake species such as the viper snake ( Natrix maura ) and the North Iberian adder ( Vipera seoanei ), the golden striped salamander flees quickly like a lizard. In the water it moves like an eel, meandering. The larvae there are eaten by dragonfly larvae .
Reproduction
Mating, which takes place at very different times depending on the area, takes place on land, for example in damp caves and tunnels. The male pushes under the female and holds the partner with his front legs. Finally, it probably deposits a spermatophore , which is then taken up by the female through the cloaca . Later, a female can deposit up to 20 light yellow, gelatinous eggs. This happens on stones under water or on roots; Eggs can also be laid on land in permanently humid conditions.
The hatchlings appear after about two months of embryonic development and are then on average 13 millimeters long. When they metamorphose into land animals, they measure 40 to 48 millimeters. Sometimes they overwinter in their waters beforehand and then reach seven centimeters in length.
Hazard and protection
The existence of the species is threatened by deforestation, urban sprawl, pollution and canalization of streams.
Legal protection status
- Fauna-Flora-Habitat-Guideline (FFH-RL): Appendices 2 and 4 (special protected areas are to be designated / strictly protected)
- Federal Species Protection Ordinance (BArtSchV): particularly protected
literature
- Andreas Nöllert, Christel Nöllert: The amphibians of Europe. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1992. ISBN 3-440-06340-2 .
Web links
- Photos of the gold stripe salamander on www.herp.it
- Chioglossa lusitanica inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: Jan Willem Arntzen, Jaime Bosch, Mathieu Denoël, Miguel Tejedo, Paul Edgar, Miguel Lizana, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Alfredo Salvador, Mario García-París, Ernesto Recuero Gil, Paulo Sá-Sousa, Rafael Marquez, 2008. Retrieved on November 20, 2013.