Class:Amphibia
Order:Urodela
Family:Salamandridae
Savi’s salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata, Savi, 1821), also known as the northern spectacled salamander, is a caudate amphibian of the Salamandridae family, very similar to the three-toed salamander, from which it was separated in 2005 on the basis of genetic studies. It is endemic to Italy north of the Volturno River and is more common on the Tyrrhenian side. It mainly inhabits mountainous and hilly areas of the Apennines, usually between 200 m and 900 m above sea level, but can also be found at 1300 m and, in some cases, even in underground environments.
It prefers forested areas with abundant undergrowth, especially deciduous woods. It uses crevices, logs and hollow trees as dens, but also takes refuge in streams and watercourses: it is a hygrophilous species that frequents cool, hilly and foothill valleys crossed by streams without predatory fish, where it feels safe in the water.
It has a rather long head and protruding eyes, its tail is longer than its head and body, the upper parts of its body are brownish or blackish with a more or less triangular patch on its head, yellow or vermilion; its belly is pale with dark spots, its throat is black and the lower parts of the legs and tail of adults are bright red. These colours serve to deter potential predators by indicating that it is a “potentially poisonous” animal and are displayed when it feels threatened: initially, it shows only the red, curling its tail over its body, but if the threat continues, it also turns “belly up”, trying at all costs to deter the potential predator. Both its colouring and behaviour did not go unnoticed by humans, who since ancient times have attributed a certain toxicity to it, so much so that Pliny the Elder, and later Isidore, wrongly defined it as “the most poisonous of animals”. In reality, the salamander is completely harmless and, precisely because of its inability to defend itself from predators, it has had to adopt methods that could instil fear. Adult specimens measure between 7 and 20 cm in length, including the tail. The distinctive feature compared to other European urodeles is the presence of four toes on each foot, instead of five.
Feeding and Habits
It walks along the bottom of streams in search of food, especially at night. It lives in isolation except during the mating season, which lasts from early autumn to early June. It is an oviparous animal. In spring and autumn, it lays its eggs in the water, attaching them to branches, moss, stones and the walls of springs. After about 50 days of incubation, 25 to 50 tadpoles are born. Metamorphosis is completed within two months, but its duration can vary depending on the climate and the availability of food.
Relationship with humans
It is considered a species of high conservation and biogeographical interest and is protected by both European legislation (Directive 92/43/EEC – the Habitats Directive) and Italian law (Presidential Decree No. 357/1997). However, the northern spectacled salamander, like the three-toed salamander and most amphibians, is very sensitive to pollution; their larvae cannot survive in the presence of pesticides or other pollutants, even in minimal doses. The elimination of shelters through so-called “cleaning”, the cutting and burning of spontaneous vegetation in woods, along watercourses and near and inside pools or ponds are other causes of threat to these species. Amphibians are also among the animals most threatened by climate change because they are not very mobile, are often endemic or have discontinuous and limited ranges, but also because of their sensitivity to sunlight and heat.
