Ligurian cave salamander
| Ligurian cave salamander | ||||||||||||
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Ligurian cave salamander ( Speleomantes strinatii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Hydromantes strinatii | ||||||||||||
| Aellen , 1958 |
The Ligurian cave salamander ( Hydromantes strinatii , Syn. : Speleomantes strinatii ) is a southern European salamander from the family lungless salamander (Plethodontidae). It used to be listed as a subspecies of Speleomantes / Hydromantes ambrosii .
features
Adults are about 11 to 12 cm long, with the females being slightly longer than the males. The body color and drawing is very variable. The basic color is light brown to black on the back and often has spots, stripes or lines in other colors, such as red, yellow, ocher, gray or green; in addition, there is usually a metallic sheen. The ventral side is usually dark. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs. Adult animals have ear glands ( parotids ) on each side of the head .
distribution
This species lives in the extreme south-east of France as well as in north-western Italy (western Liguria ).
Way of life
Although the Ligurian cave salamander is not dependent on open waters and survives dry periods by digging in, it usually lives near streams or other water points, as well as in moist grottos or crevices that are between 80 and 2400 meters above sea level in mountainous regions. Fully developed young hatch from the eggs that are laid on land. As with other cave salamanders, there are skin glands that secrete a poisonous mucus when in danger. In terms of food, the species has no specialization worth mentioning and eats various invertebrates . It is mainly nocturnal. Specimens in human care lived up to six years old, but multiple finds in the wild suggest that the species can live up to 17 years.
Reproduction
As with other cave salamanders, mating occurs on land, mostly in the autumn months. The male climbs onto the female and clasps it with his front legs. In the course of a "mating march" the male deposits a spermatophore on the ground. This seed packet is then taken up by the female with her cloaca . The female later lays individual, yolk-rich eggs, which are hidden under leaves, in crevices or similar places. According to previous observations, only the female guards the eggs from which the young hatch after about 10 months (at 12 ° C). Sexual maturity is reached at three to four years of age.
Danger
The Ligurian Cave Salamander is classified by the IUCN as "Near Threatened" (corresponds roughly to the German category "Warning List"), mainly due to its relatively small area. The total population is apparently quite stable. Habitat loss can occur locally , and specimens are sometimes illegally collected.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Arie van der Meijden, Research associate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley (October 25, 1999; expanded May 25, 2002). " Hydromantes strinatii " (eng.). AmphibiaWeb, University of California, accessed July 20, 2009.
- ↑ a b c Speleomantes strinatii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Franco Andreone, Paul Edgar, Claudia Corti, Marc Cheylan, Roberto Sindaco Antonio Romano, 2008. Accessed July 20 of 2009.
literature
- Andreas Nöllert, Christel Nöllert: The amphibians of Europe. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-440-06340-2 .