Legendary animal, symbol of passion, emblem of François 1er, the salamander has the reputation of being able to live in the middle of flames. But who is really this small amphibian?
The salamander, a discreet animal
Salamandra salamandra, more commonly known as 'Spotted Salamander' is an amphibian of 12 to 25 cm length living in humid forest environments. It is quite common in all deciduous and coniferous forests of medium altitude on the whole territory including Corsica. Easily recognizable by its shiny black body spotted with yellow, the salamander has webbed feet and a well-structured tail. Its big black eyes are arranged on both sides of its snout all in roundness. This rather terrestrial amphibian frequents streams and springs but does not live directly in water. Nocturnal, the salamander hides during the day under rocks, stumps, and can even invest the burrow of a rodent.
Carnivorous, it feeds on worms, small mollusks and insects.
In winter, salamanders enter into diapause and live in slow motion under the shelter of a stump or in a rock crevice until spring, when they will come out and frequent wetlands in order to reproduce. Ovoviviparous, the female deposits her larvae directly in a spring, a fountain or a small stream. The water must be well oxygenated and therefore in motion. Provided with external feathery gills, the larvae have the capacity to swim as soon as they are expelled and to devour mud worms, larvae of all kinds and even their fellow creatures! After 5 months of this diet, and a metamorphosis later, they will be transformed into salamanders and will be able to leave the water to begin their terrestrial life. The sexual maturity will be reached at the age of 4 years, but if the salamander escapes its predators (snakes, wild boars, hedgehogs, raptors...) it will be able to live more than 20 years.
The different species of salamanders
The spotted salamander (Salamandra salamandra) which we mentioned above is the most common and can be found in the whole country if the ecosystem is suitable. It can be recognized by its shiny black body with yellow/orange spots and its relatively large size compared to other species.
The Lanza's salamander (Salamandra lanzai) is very rare and exclusively represented in the High Alps between 1600 and 2200 m of altitude. It likes humid alpine grasslands and moves early in the morning. Its body is all black, shiny and does not exceed 15 cm in length. This salamander has an IUCN conservation status as it is considered a vulnerable species.
The black salamander (Salamandra atra) is less attached to the wetland than the other species. From 9 to 12 cm for the male and a maximum of 15 cm for the female, this salamander has a shiny black body marked by circular costal grooves. It is found only in the Alps. A subspecies Salamandra atra aurorae, dotted with large cream-colored spots lives in the southern Italian Alps.
The Corsican salamander (Salamandra corsica) is endemic to this island where it can be found up to 1800m altitude. It looks like the spotted salamander with its shiny black body dotted with yellow/orange spots. This protected species is listed in Annex III of the Bern Convention, Annex IV of the Habitat Directive and classified as a "species to watch" in the red list of amphibians and reptiles.
