This salamander
is an endemic specimen of the
They are from 12 to 20 cm long with a lifespan
of up to 20 years.
Diet consists in a wide range of terrestrial
invertebrates, varying upon the period of the season.
This species can be found mostly in the mount
Viso area and in the valley Germanasca, Pellice and Guil from 1200 to
2600 m elevation in woods or prairies where they live mainly on alpine
meadows and slopes, often next to brooks. The lowest localities are
positioned in mixed and coniferous forests.
Their period
of activity is during the Alpine summer, from about the beginning of May
to October.
Breeding does not rely on water at any stage
(as it does with the other salamanders) and copulation appears to take
place at the end of summer. The female gives birth to perfectly formed
young as the metamorphosis from larvae to adult form occurs before birth.
Gestation is thought to take 2 to 3 years which is a considerable time
and the young salamanders are immediately able to eat and live on their
own.
The number of new born varies from 1 to 6.
Considering their
unusual isolated habitat location they aren’t thought to be under any
obvious threats however they are classified as vulnerable due to their
small population size.
