Gold-striped salamander

About the Gold-striped salamander

The gold-striped salamander or golden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is the only species of the genus Chioglossa. It is found in the north-west of Iberia (in Portugal and Spain) at an altitude of up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). It is threatened by habitat loss.

The gold-striped salamander is a short-legged salamander with protruding eyes and a tail that makes up 2/3 of its total length. It has a smooth upper side with 10-11 coastal grooves which are dark brown to blackish and usually two parallel golden stripes on the back which can sometimes be broken. It is an agile terrestrial amphibian, and is nocturnal. It may shed its tail like a lizard if it feels threatened, and lives for about eight to 10 years. It feeds primarily on invertebrates, using its sticky tongue to catch them. They mate on land with clutches of 12-20 eggs laid between stones in running water or on the walls of caves. The larvae develop in water.

The species has two described subspecies, C. l. lusitanica and C. l. longipes. Its natural habitat are moist deciduous forests near streams in mountainous areas... Wikipedia →