About Speleomantes italicus (Dunn, 1923)
The Italian cave salamander (Speleomantes italicus) is a slender salamander species with short limbs. When fully grown, it reaches a total length of about 12.5 cm (5 in), which includes a short tail. It has a broad head with prominent eyes, and a distinct groove runs between each nostril and the edge of the lip. Its feet are partially webbed. Its base color is dark, with mottled reddish or yellowish markings, and it has a dark belly. In the northern part of its native range, its coloration is more variable, and it sometimes hybridizes with Ambrosi's cave salamander (Speleomantes ambrosii).
This species is native to northern Italy, where it occurs in the northern and central Apennine Mountains. Its native range extends south from the Province of Lucca and Province of Reggio Emilia to the Province of Pescara. It inhabits wooded valleys, rocky outcrops, caves, and underground waters, most often in limestone areas, and can be found at altitudes up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level. An introduced population of Italian cave salamanders lives in an abandoned quarry located in a beech forest near Holzminden, Germany. It is hypothesized that this population has existed in the area for around a century; a local family in the early 20th century owned both an animal import business and several nearby quarries, which explains the likely introduction.
