''Hynobius arisanensis'', the Alishan salamander, is a species of
salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
in the family
Hynobiidae
The Asiatic salamanders (family Hynobiidae) are primitive salamanders found all over Asia, and in European Russia. They are closely related to the giant salamanders (family Cryptobranchidae), with which they form the suborder Cryptobranchoidea. A ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. It occurs in the
Alishan Range
The Alishan Range () is a mountain range in the central-southern region of Taiwan. It is separated by the Qishan River from the Yushan Range, the tallest range in Taiwan, to the east of the Alishan Range. The highest peak of the Alishan Range ...
, the
Yushan Range
The Yushan Range, formerly the and also known as the JadeMountain Range, is a mountain range in the central-southern region of Taiwan Island. It spans Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City, and Nantou County. It faces the Central Mountain Range on the ...
, and southern
Central Mountain Range
The Central Mountain Range is the principal mountain range on the island of Taiwan. It runs from the north of the island to the south. Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not very convenient. The tallest peak of th ...
, where it lives at altitudes of above sea level. Its natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s are temperate
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s,
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
s, and freshwater
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
s. It is usually hiding during day time.
Adult ''H. arisanensis'' measure in snout–vent length. It is blackish-brown to reddish-brown dorsally and somewhat lighter brown or grey-brown ventrally.
Distribution and habitat
A study of ''H. arisanensis'' in the Alishan Range found the adults had home ranges of up to 500 m2 (mean 65 m2). Adult and juvenile survival was high, 0.996 and 0.977, respectively. With the estimated population growth ratio of 1.077, the population appeared stable or slightly increasing. It is found in coniferous and broadleaf woodland near streams where it occurs at altitudes greater than and is considered rare. It probably breeds in the streams with the larvae developing in the water.
Status
In its
Red List of Threatened Species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
, the
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
lists ''Hynobius arisanensis'' as being "endangered". This is because it is restricted to the Alishan, Yushan and Pei Ta Wu Shan mountain ranges in Taiwan where its range is fragmented. Its total area of occupancy is less than and its habitat is being degraded, particularly from the infrastructure development being undertaken in an attempt to increase tourism in the region. It is present in the
Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park () is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park.Tawushan Nature Preserve which should provide some measure of protection.