Ambrosi's cave salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ambrosi's cave salamander |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Speleomantes
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| Species: |
ambrosii
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| Synonyms | |
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Hydromantes ambrosii Lanza, 1954 |
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The Ambrosi's cave salamander, also called the Spezia cave salamander (Speleomantes ambrosii), is a special type of salamander. It belongs to a group of salamanders called Plethodontidae. This amazing animal lives only in a small part of northwestern Italy. Its homes are cool forests, rocky places, caves, and other underground spots. Sadly, its living areas are shrinking, which puts it in danger.
What Does It Look Like?
The Ambrosi's cave salamander has short, strong legs and pointy toes. It also has a short tail. This salamander can grow to about 12.5 cm (5 in) long, including its tail.
You might notice a small ridge between its nose and eye. Its color can be very different from one salamander to another. They are usually brown or black. But they can also have patterns of grey, green, yellow, red, pink, or even more brown. Some are just a solid brown or black. Their bellies are dark too, but with lighter marks.
Where Does It Live?
The Ambrosi's cave salamander lives only in a small area of northwestern Italy. You can find it in different spots within the La Spezia province. Even though it's called a "cave salamander," it doesn't only live in caves.
When the weather is dry, it hides under stones, logs, or inside caves. At other times, it is active on the leaves on the ground. It likes to be near streams and on wet rocks in wooded valleys. It can live at heights of up to 1,250 metres (4,100 ft) above sea level. In the southeastern part of its home, it sometimes lives near the Italian cave salamander. When this happens, the two types of salamanders can sometimes have babies together.
How Does It Behave?
Ambrosi's cave salamander likes wet places. It is active at night, moving around on the ground. Sometimes, it even climbs on low plants.
Male salamanders are ready to have babies when they are about four years old. Females are ready when they are five. After a special dance to find a partner, the female lays a few eggs. Each egg is about 6 mm (0.2 in) long. She hides them in a secret spot. The mother salamander guards the eggs until they hatch. When they hatch, tiny salamanders come out, not tadpoles. These salamanders can live for about seventeen years.
Why Is It in Danger?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Ambrosi's cave salamander is critically endangered. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. It lives in a very small area, less than 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 sq mi) in total.
Also, the places where it can live might be getting smaller. Luckily, it lives in two protected areas. These are the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre and the Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Apuane. Scientists are still studying these salamanders. It's possible that one type of Ambrosi's cave salamander might actually be a different species. If that happens, its protected area would become even smaller. This would make its danger level even higher.
