| Lyciasalamandra helverseni | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Salamandridae |
| Genus: | Lyciasalamandra |
| Species: | L. helverseni |
| Binomial name | |
| Lyciasalamandra helverseni (Pieper, 1963) | |
Lyciasalamandra helverseni, the Karpathos salamander, is a viviparous species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found only in Greece. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky areas.
The Karpathos salamander can reach up to 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in length. The females of this species are typically larger than the males and have more rough skin on their back. Males have a thorny tubercle on the dorsal area at the base of their tail. [2]
During mating, the male grabs the female's front legs with his mouth in order to force her on his back, so he can press his tubercle up to the female's cloaca and place a spermatophore. [2] The female gives birth to fully developed juveniles, the number of which is usually less than three. [2]
The Karpathos salamander is endemic to the islands of Karpathos, Saria and Kasos. [1] All three of them are located in the southeast Aegean Sea and are part of the Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion. [3] These salamanders are typically found in areas with limestone, such as pine forests, maquis shrublands and rocky areas. In the summer, they can be found in limestone caves; and they are often near human settlements in loose rock walls and ruins. [4] They prefer low temperatures and humid conditions [2] and unlike many amphibians, they birth on land and they are not associated with water. [1]
The Karpathos salamander is fairly common within its restricted range. Despite that, it is listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because it is known from fewer than five locations. [1] The most threatened population is the one in the island of Kasos. [2] This species occurs in some protected areas, [1] all of which are part of the Natura 2000 network. [5]
Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin. Their skin is very granular because of the number of poison glands. They also lack nasolabial grooves. Most species of Salamandridae have moveable eyelids but lack lacrimal glands.
Karpathos, also Carpathos, is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part of the regional unit Karpathos-Kasos. Because of its remote location, Karpathos has preserved many peculiarities of dress, customs and dialect, the last resembling those of Crete and Cyprus. The island has also been called Carpathus in Latin and Scarpanto in Italian.
The stone pine, botanical name Pinus pinea, also known as the Italian stone pine, Mediterranean stone pine, umbrella pine and parasol pine, is a tree from the pine family (Pinaceae). The tree is native to the Mediterranean region, occurring in Southern Europe and the Levant. The species was introduced into North Africa millennia ago, and is also naturalized in the Canary Islands, South Africa and New South Wales.
Kasos, also Casos, is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the regional unit Karpathos-Kasos. The capital of the island is Fri. As of 2021, its population was 1,223.
The Japanese giant salamander is a species of fully aquatic giant salamander endemic to Japan, occurring across the western portion of the main island of Honshu, with smaller populations present on Shikoku and in northern Kyushu. With a length of up to 5 feet (1.5 m), it is the third-largest salamander in the world, only being surpassed by the very similar and closely related Chinese giant salamander and the South China giant salamander.
The Sardinian brook salamander or Sardinian mountain newt is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found only in Sardinia, Italy.
Lyciasalamandra antalyana, the Anatolia Lycian salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found only in Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Lyciasalamandra is a genus of salamanders in the family Salamandridae. They are native to southwestern coast of Turkey and nearby Aegean Islands (Greece). As of early 2018, all species in the genus are threatened. The common name Lycian salamanders has been coined for them.
Lyciasalamandra atifi, or Atif's salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found only in Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Lyciasalamandra flavimembris, the Marmaris Lycian salamander or Marmaris salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to Turkey and is found along the southwestern Anatolian coast between Marmaris and Ula. It was first described as subspecies of Mertensiella luschani, now Lyciasalamandra luschani.
Luschan's salamander or Lycian salamander is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is found in the southwestern Anatolia in Turkey and adjacent Greece, in the island of Kastellorizo and its satellites.
The spring salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found in Canada and the United States. The genus, Gyrinophilus, means "tadpole lover" and refers to the long period of time it spends as a gilled larva before maturing. The specific epithet, porphyriticus, is Latin from Greek, meaning the color of porphyry, a purple stone, and this salamander has also been called the purple salamander.
The limestone salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family. Discovered in 1952, this species belongs to a genus endemic to California. It is endemic to a portion of the Merced River Canyon in Mariposa County, California.
The Yonahlossee salamander is a particularly large woodland salamander from the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States. The species is a member of the family Plethodontidae, which is characterized by being lungless and reproductive direct development. P. yonahlossee was first described in 1917 by E.R Dunn on a collection site on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. The common and specific name is of Native American origin, meaning “trail of the bear”. It is derived from Yonahlossee Road northeast of Linville, where the specimen was first described.
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 Cretan frog is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to the Greek island of Crete.
Orculella exaggerata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Orculidae.
The Rodopi Mountain Range National Park is a national park in Greece, situated in the central-west massif of the Greek section of the Rhodope Mountains. It covers an area of approximately 170,000 hectares and includes the largest and most productive forest ecosystems in Greece.
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