Luschan's salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luschan's salamander |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lyciasalamandra
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| Species: |
luschani
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| Synonyms | |
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Molge luschani Steindachner, 1891 |
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The Luschan's salamander or Lycian salamander (Lyciasalamandra luschani) is a special type of salamander. It belongs to the Salamandridae family. You can find this salamander in the southwestern part of Turkey, called Anatolia. It also lives on the nearby Greek island of Kastellorizo and its smaller islands.
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Description
Luschan's salamander is usually brown. It has small yellow dots on its back and yellow or whitish sides. Its belly is a flesh color. The salamander's eyes and the glands behind its eyes are easy to see. Its tail is thin.
Male salamanders have a small bump or "spike" at the top of their tail base. Adult salamanders can grow up to about 13 centimeters (5 inches) long. Luschan's salamanders are active at night and live on land. They are most active during the rainy season, which is from November to April in the Mediterranean area. Males and females weigh about the same.
Male and female Luschan's salamanders look a bit different. This is called "sexual dimorphism." Males have a bump near their tail that females and young salamanders don't have. Females have a special opening called a cloaca, which helps tell them apart. Young salamanders don't have either of these features. One study showed that females often have a longer body (from snout to vent) than males. However, males can sometimes grow to have a longer maximum body length.
Scientists found two types of Luschan's salamanders in a village called Dodurga in Turkey. Type 1 had a light brown back. Type 2 also had a light brown back, but it was a bit orangish. Type 2 salamanders also had greenish-yellow upper eyelids with a darker middle part. They also had dark brown spots all over their bodies. Both types had parts of their insides visible and a wider gland behind their eyes. Males sometimes arch their back as a way to defend themselves.
Subspecies
There are three main types, or subspecies, of Luschan's salamander:
- L. l. basoglui (discovered in 1980)
- L. l. finikensis (discovered in 1975)
- L. l. luschani (discovered in 1891 by Franz Steindachner)
Genetics and Family Tree
Scientists study the DNA of Luschan's salamanders to understand how they are related to other animals. They have looked at the salamander's mitochondrial DNA, which is a special type of DNA found outside the main part of the cell. This DNA helps scientists build a "family tree" (phylogeny) for the salamander.
The studies show that M. luschani is closely related to the Salamandra group of salamanders. Scientists also found that the L. l. finikensis, L. l. luschani, and L. l. basoglui subspecies seem to form their own special group.
Scientists also look at the salamander's chromosomes, which are like tiny packages of DNA. The L. l. luschani subspecies has 24 chromosomes. This is similar to other salamanders in the Lyciasalamandra group.
Habitat and Distribution
Luschan's salamanders live in warm forests and dry Mediterranean areas. During their active times, they hide under rocks or wood during the day. At night, they come out to find food.
Sadly, Luschan's salamander populations are at risk because their habitat is being destroyed. This is called habitat loss. One subspecies, M. l. helverseni, lives in pine forests on the island of Carpathos. The salamander has also been found along about 350 kilometers (217 miles) of the southwestern coast of Turkey.
Conservation
Luschan's salamander is a species that needs our help. The Red Data Book of Threatened Animals of Greece says that one subspecies, L. luschani basoglui, is "vulnerable." The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the salamander an "endangered species."
There are two main reasons why Luschan's salamander is in danger:
- Their homes (habitats) are being lost because of new buildings and development.
- Different groups of salamanders (subspecies) are becoming separated from each other. This makes it harder for them to find mates and survive.
Diet
Scientists have studied what Luschan's salamanders eat. They found that young salamanders and adult salamanders eat different things. Young salamanders mostly eat tiny insects called collembolans and snails (gastropods). Adult male salamanders mostly eat beetles. Adult female salamanders eat beetles and another type of insect called Hymenoptera (like ants or wasps).
The study also showed that the length of the salamander's body and the width of its head can help predict how big the prey it eats will be.
Reproduction
Luschan's salamanders are viviparous. This means that instead of laying eggs, the females give birth to live young. A female salamander usually gives birth to two babies, one from each of her two oviducts (tubes where eggs develop). It takes about 5 to 8 months for the babies to grow inside the mother before they are born.
Scientists found that Luschan's salamanders give birth over two seasons, from late September to late March. This is partly because they need the right humidity and temperature before the mother gives birth. Mating often happens in April, which suggests that springtime is their breeding season.
Life cycle
Luschan's salamanders become adults when they are about 3 years old. Before that, they are considered juveniles. They usually live for about 5.4 years. Some males can live up to 8 years, and some females can live up to 10 years. They might also have a resting period each year, usually during the winter.
Anatomy and Morphology
The Luschan's salamander has a flat and wide head. Its body is generally orange with brown spots.
Scientists have compared the skull of M. luschani to other salamanders. Its skull is larger than some, but similar in size to others. It has two short bones at the front of its jaw. The salamander also has large nasal bones. The bones at the front of its skull have a pointed end near the tail.
The skin of Lyciasalamander luschani basoglui is quite rough. This rough skin helps it save water for long periods. It has deep pits in its skin, which also help reduce water loss. This means it loses water through its skin slower than some other salamanders.
The salamander's backbone has different types of bones called vertebrae. It has one neck vertebra, about sixteen body vertebrae, one hip vertebra, three tail-hip vertebrae, and at least twenty-four tail vertebrae. Some salamanders can have as many as thirty tail vertebrae. The salamander's hips are a medium size compared to other salamanders. Part of its hip is made of cartilage, which slowly turns into bone.
Like other salamanders, M. luschani has a stomach with different parts. The stomach has four layers of tissue. The small intestine also has similar layers and special folds called villi, which help it absorb nutrients.
Parasites
Luschan's salamander can sometimes be a home for tiny worms called nematodes or helminths. One type of worm, Angiostoma aspersae, has been found in these salamanders. In one study, about 92 percent of the observed salamanders had this worm infecting their bodies.
