Common Name: Gold Striped Salamander
Scientific Name: Chioglossa lusitanica
Family: Salamandridae
Location: Spain and Portugal
Size: 6.5 inches (164 mm)
The Gold Striped Salamander can be found in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. near clear, well oxygenated, slightly acidic streams. The salamanders are terrestrial (lives on land) and nocturnal (active at night). The salamander has two cool superpowers. Their tongue can shoot out almost a third of an inch, allowing them to capture prey easier. Also, they can also drop their tall if in trouble from a predator and the tail will still move minutes after. They can regrow a new tail too.
Mating takes place mainly during fall but the salamanders in the northwestern part of the range breed during spring. Females only lay up to 20 eggs at a time.
They’re listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. One such threat to the salamanders is the pollution of the streams they breed in due to pesticides from farms. Another is the demolition of the forests they live in to make room for farms, urban areas, and timber harvesting.
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