This is the Alpine Salamander (Salamandra atra). This unsuspecting species holds the title for the longest gestation period of any amphibian, with females holding their young for up to 4 years long! This stat also makes it a contender for one of the longest gestation periods in any animal in general. • Unlike most salamanders S. atra is viviparous, meaning it gives birth to live young. Only a few other species of salamander share this trait, with the only others being other Salamandra sp. (such as the well known Fire Salamander) and all the members in the genus Lyciasalamandra. • While in gestation, the developing salamander will first feed on its yolk sac like normal, but after that has been finished it will begin to feed on the unfertilized eggs within its mother’s uterus. But even further, after these have been depleted they will start to feed on its mother’s uterine epithelial cells before coming out as fully developed little salamanders. • So, why do these salamanders have such an intense life history? Well, it’s actually not completely known. The evolution of viviparity in amphibians has been observed to occur as the duration of time that eggs are retained in the oviduct is increased, and if its anything like how viviparity has developed in reptiles, it could have to do with an adaptation to cold environments. These salamanders inhabit the cold high elevation conditions of the European alps, and gestation times increase with elevation, so this could be a possibility. • Photo Credit: Lucio Bonato • Sources: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/11250000109356396 https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/89232/1/ELS_2011.pdf Pough, F. Harvey, Robin M. Andrews, John E. Cadle, Martha L. Crump, Alan H. Savitzky, and Kentwood D. Wells. 2004. Herpetology, Third Edition. New York: Prentice Hall. 726 pp. • • • #salamanders #salamander #amphibian #fyp #explore #salamandersaturday #fcsal #conservation #facts #science (fb)

Salamander Highlight: The One Toed Amphiuma • Being a member of the family amphiumidae, Amphiuma pholeter possess a very strange eel-like body plan for a salamander, with their legs being significantly reduced and their body very elongated. To top it off, as their name suggests, these salamanders only have one toe on each foot, differentiating them from their relatives which have two and three toes (how convenient). A. pholeter is unique in being genetically distant from its relatives, as well as being considered a dwarf species. They reach sizes of 12 inches, which is big for a salamander, but small compared to the sometimes more than 40 inch sizes their relatives reach. • A. pholeter are native to southern Alabama, southwestern Georgia, the Florida panhandle and parts of the Florida peninsula. They call thick muck composed of decaying plant matter their homes, usually at the bottom of streams and ponds. Their specific epithet “pholeter” actually means “one who hides in a den.” Their diet consists of the invertebrate denizens they hare this habitat with, such as worms and beetles. • The hard to search habitat they live in and their secretive nature makes them poorly known, especially in terms of their reproduction. While they aren’t classified as being threatened in any way, they inhabit a very specific habitat type and have a patchy distribution that is sometimes at risk form agricultural development. • What do you think about these little guys? • Photo credits: 1st pic: Jake Scott • Sources: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Amphiuma&where-species=pholeter https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/5fb8bd5f-d67a-4312-bd28-2e79c4fa4282/content https://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_15/Issue_3/Means_GunzburgerAresco_2020.pdf • #salamander #salamanders #amphibians #conservation #facts #herpetology #explore #animals #science #fyp #amphibians #amphiumapholeter (fb)