Corsican Fire Salamander
Encyclopedia
The Corsican Fire Salamander (Salamandra corsica) is a species of salamander
in the Salamandridae
family. It is found only on the island of Corsica
as an endemic species. For former times this species was known as a subspecies of the widespread but continental distributed Fire salamander
which may appear quite similar.
mountain forests of the island. On the west coast near in the Calanques de Piana Salamanders have been found near sea level but in general they appear as inhabitant of forests with deciduous oaks like Sessile, Downy Oak and Sweet Chestnut gardens near the human settlements. Forrests with the Maritime Pine
and the Corsican Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. corsicana
are also inhabitated. Densly growing frens (i.g. Pteridium aquilinum
), Tree Heath
and other shrubby vegetation might deminish the Fire Salamander population, also as evergreen
sclerophyll
ic woods like holly oak forests because of their minor precipitation
sum. Beech
forests are populated in the Castagniccia and also in the south of the island where this tree assembles dense azonal forests and does not appear mainly as upper Tree line like i.g. in the western mountain ranges of Corsica.
The mid ranges of the corsican mountains seem to be prefered because of their constant humidity and moderat temperatures. Constant water in the creeks coming down from the summits support good development of the larvae over the hot summer. They are born when the snow has melted away and the streams are safe again for the newborn unskillful larvae. Their surrounding and stone run
s offer also to the adults prefered places to hide away from the daylight or the summer drought.
Robert Mertens
found a pregnant Corsican Fire Salamander in the Restonica valley that gave birth to four offsprings without gill
s and already with the charcteristic black and yellow of the adults. At the same time he found normally developing aquatic larvae with their three characteristic feathery external gills on each side of the heads and camouflage
blending on the pond's ground. The astonishing reproductive ability of vivipary
is well known from the Fire Salamander
's nortwest spanish subspecies
Salamandra salamandra ssp. bernardezi (Asturian
Fire Salamander) and Salamandra atra (Alpine Salamander
) from the central and east Alps
. This can be interpreted as a local adaptation to xerothermic climate
conditions and lack of ponds an brooks.
. The species may also be threatened by water pollution, wildfire
s and wood pasture
. Introducing invasive fish species like Rainbow trout
s in the larvae's habitats deminishes the reproduction of the Island's Fire salamanders singnificantly. Indigenous anadromous
fish like the Mediterranean trout Salmo cettii which is also highly endangered seems not to have that big influence on the amfibians.
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
in the Salamandridae
Salamandridae
Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Currently, 74 species have been identified in the northern hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa and North America...
family. It is found only on the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
as an endemic species. For former times this species was known as a subspecies of the widespread but continental distributed Fire salamander
Fire Salamander
The fire salamander is probably the best-known salamander species in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing...
which may appear quite similar.
Habitat
The Corsican Fire Salamander mainly lives in the deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
mountain forests of the island. On the west coast near in the Calanques de Piana Salamanders have been found near sea level but in general they appear as inhabitant of forests with deciduous oaks like Sessile, Downy Oak and Sweet Chestnut gardens near the human settlements. Forrests with the Maritime Pine
Maritime Pine
Pinus pinaster, the Maritime Pine, is a pine native to the western and southwestern Mediterranean region. The pejorative name 'pinaster' is derived from pinus + aster, translating as 'a poor imitation of a pine' Pinus pinaster, the Maritime Pine, is a pine native to the western and southwestern...
and the Corsican Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. corsicana
European Black Pine
Pinus nigra, the European Black Pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the Crimea, in Asia Minor and on Cyprus, and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa....
are also inhabitated. Densly growing frens (i.g. Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
), Tree Heath
Tree heath
Erica arborea, the tree heath, is a shrub or small evergreen tree found mostly in the macchia-matorral-maquis shrublands, dry evergreen scrublands, surrounding the Mediterranean Basin and west to Portugal and the Canary and Madeira Islands....
and other shrubby vegetation might deminish the Fire Salamander population, also as evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
ic woods like holly oak forests because of their minor precipitation
Precipitation
Precipitation may refer to:* Precipitation , rain, sleet, hail, snow and other forms of water falling from the sky* Precipitation , the condensation of a solid from a solution during a chemical reaction...
sum. Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forests are populated in the Castagniccia and also in the south of the island where this tree assembles dense azonal forests and does not appear mainly as upper Tree line like i.g. in the western mountain ranges of Corsica.
The mid ranges of the corsican mountains seem to be prefered because of their constant humidity and moderat temperatures. Constant water in the creeks coming down from the summits support good development of the larvae over the hot summer. They are born when the snow has melted away and the streams are safe again for the newborn unskillful larvae. Their surrounding and stone run
Stone run
A stone run is a conspicuous rock landform, result of the erosion of particular rock varieties caused by myriad freezing-thawing cycles taking place in periglacial conditions during the last Ice Age.The actual formation of stone runs involved no less than five processes: weathering, solifluction,...
s offer also to the adults prefered places to hide away from the daylight or the summer drought.
Unexpected ways of reproduction
The german herpetologistHerpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
Robert Mertens
Robert Mertens
Robert Mertens was a German herpetologist. The Robert Mertens' day gecko is a species named after him, and he also postulated Mertensian mimicry....
found a pregnant Corsican Fire Salamander in the Restonica valley that gave birth to four offsprings without gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s and already with the charcteristic black and yellow of the adults. At the same time he found normally developing aquatic larvae with their three characteristic feathery external gills on each side of the heads and camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
blending on the pond's ground. The astonishing reproductive ability of vivipary
Vivipary
Vivipary has two different meanings. In animals, it means development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, eventually leading to live birth, as opposed to laying eggs...
is well known from the Fire Salamander
Fire Salamander
The fire salamander is probably the best-known salamander species in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing...
's nortwest spanish subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
Salamandra salamandra ssp. bernardezi (Asturian
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
Fire Salamander) and Salamandra atra (Alpine Salamander
Alpine Salamander
The Alpine Salamander is a shiny black salamander. It is found in the Central, Eastern and Dinaric Alps, at altitudes above 700 meters. The Western Alps are inhabited by a similar species Salamandra lanzai in only one small area. There are no differences in length between sexes and sex ratio...
) from the central and east Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. This can be interpreted as a local adaptation to xerothermic climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
conditions and lack of ponds an brooks.
Threats
The Corsican Fire Salamander is threatened by habitat loss, forest works, road constructions and roadkillRoadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
. The species may also be threatened by water pollution, wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s and wood pasture
Wood pasture
Wood pasture is a historical European land management system in which open woodland provided shelter and forage for grazing animals, particularly sheep and cattle, as well as woodland products such as timber for construction and fuel, coppiced stems for wattle and charcoal making and pollarded poles...
. Introducing invasive fish species like Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
s in the larvae's habitats deminishes the reproduction of the Island's Fire salamanders singnificantly. Indigenous anadromous
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
fish like the Mediterranean trout Salmo cettii which is also highly endangered seems not to have that big influence on the amfibians.