Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Sardinian brook salamander (Euproctus platycephalus), recorded as Endangered
Sardinian brook salamander (Euproctus platycephalus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Sardinian brook salamander

Euproctus platycephalus

Sardinian brook salamander is a salamander in the family Salamandridae (order Caudata) — Euproctus platycephalus, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Euproctus platycephalus
Taxonomy
Amphibia · Caudata · Salamandridae · Euproctus

Appearance

The colour is olive, grey, or reddish-brown, often with red, brown, or black spots and longitudinal streaks, and often a thin yellow or brown stripe occurs along the spine. The underside is paler, often having a red or yellow central region and black spots.

The Sardinian brook salamander can grow to about 15 cm (6 in) in length, but adults are usually rather smaller than this, with females being a bit larger than males.

Range and habitat

The Sardinian brook salamander is endemic to the mountainous areas on the east side of the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. It is found at altitudes between 50 and 1,800 metres (160 and 5,910 ft), with most sightings being in the middle of this range. It is found in slow-moving streams and rivers, small lakes, and ponds, where it hides under stones.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Breeding

Salamanders hide under logs, in seeps, or in caves. They do not commute across a dry valley.

Eggs and damp skin make amphibians quick to vanish from a drained wetland or a forest stripped of litter.

In crisis

Salamanders disappear when seeps are capped, caves are disturbed, or a pathogen moves through a mountain range.

Sardinian brook salamander is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Sardinian brook salamander, Wikidata item Q1541790. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

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Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
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Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

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Quick answers

What is Sardinian brook salamander?
Sardinian brook salamander is a salamander in the family Salamandridae (order Caudata) — Euproctus platycephalus.
What is the conservation status of Sardinian brook salamander?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Euproctus platycephalus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Sardinian brook salamander live?
The Sardinian brook salamander is endemic to the mountainous areas on the east side of the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea.
Why is Sardinian brook salamander in crisis?
Salamanders disappear when seeps are capped, caves are disturbed, or a pathogen moves through a mountain range.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Euproctus platycephalus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Sardinian brook salamander a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.