Imperial cave salamander | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Urodela |
Family: | Plethodontidae |
Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
Genus: | Speleomantes |
Species: | S. imperialis |
Binomial name | |
Speleomantes imperialis (Stefani, 1969) | |
Dark green: areas of habitation | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The imperial cave salamander, imperial salamander, odorous cave salamander, or scented cave salamander (Speleomantes imperialis) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Sardinia. [1] [2]
Speleomantes imperialis inhabits humid rocky outcrops, caves, crevices, and forested areas near streams at elevations of 7–1,170 m (23–3,839 ft) above sea level. It lays a few terrestrial eggs that have direct development [1] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage [3] ). While common within its limited range and not facing major threats, it can suffer localized habitat loss and illegal collection. It occurs in the National Park of the Gulf of Orosei and Gennargentu and the Monte Sette Fratelli Regional Park, probably also the Giara di Gesturi Regional Park. [1]
The olm or proteus is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus Proteus of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant genus is Necturus. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic, eating, sleeping, and breeding underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through the extensive limestone bedrock of the karst of Central and Southeastern Europe in the basin of the Soča River near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Introduced populations are found near Vicenza, Italy, and Kranj, Slovenia. It was first mentioned in 1689 by the local naturalist Valvasor in his Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, who reported that, after heavy rains, the olms were washed up from the underground waters and were believed by local people to be a cave dragon's offspring.
Wehrle's salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Eastern United States. It is named in honor of Richard White Wehrle (1852–1937), a jeweler, naturalist, and collector of the holotype.
The gold-striped salamander or golden-striped salamander is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is the only species of the genus Chioglossa. It is found in the north-west of Iberia at an altitude of up to 1,300 m. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Persian brook salamander or Persian mountain salamander is an endemic amphibian species of salamander in the family Hynobiidae found in Iran and possibly Azerbaijan.
The Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander is a species in the Plethodontidae family native to eastern North America.
The Mount Lyell salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, United States. It is found in a range of microhabitats, such as rock exposures, talus and rock fissures, and under rocks or in caves or crevices. Its altitudinal range is 1,220–3,670 m (4,000–12,040 ft) above sea level. No significant threats to this species are known.
Ambrosi's cave salamander or the Spezia cave salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. Endemic to northwestern Italy, its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterranean habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Monte Albo cave salamander or Stefani's salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to Sardinia.
The brown cave salamander, also known as Gene's cave salamander, Sardinian cave salamander, or simply Sardinian salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Sardinia (Italy). Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterranean habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Italian cave salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. Endemic to Italy, its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterranean habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Supramonte cave salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the island of Sardinia (Italy).
The spotted-tail salamander, also known as a "cave salamander", is a species of brook salamander.
Urspelerpes is a monotypic genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. It is represented by a single species, the patch-nosed salamander, a lungless miniature salamander found in streams of Georgia and South Carolina, United States. It marks the first discovery of an endemic amphibian genus from the United States since the Red Hills salamander (Phaeognathus) in 1961.
A cave salamander is a type of salamander that primarily or exclusively inhabits caves, a group that includes several species. Some of these animals have developed special, even extreme, adaptations to their subterranean environments. Some species have only rudimentary eyes. Others lack pigmentation, rendering them a pale yellowish or pinkish color.
Speleomantes strinatii, the French cave salamander, North-west Italian cave salamander, or Strinati's cave salamander is a small species of salamander found in northwest Italy and southeast France. It is very similar in appearance to the Italian cave salamander, but has a paler belly.
The Sarrabus' cave salamander or Sette Fratelli cave salamander or, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found in southeastern Sardinia, east of Cagliari. The species was thought to have been a part of Speleomantes imperialis but was found to be a separate species.