Paradactylodon mustersi 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 ...

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 Afghanistan. It is also known as the Afghanistan brook salamander, Paghman Mountain Salamander, Afghan brook salamander, Afghanistan mountain salamander, Paghman mountain salamander, and Paghman stream salamander. It inhabits cool highland streams. The total population is estimated at 1,000–2,000 adults. It is only found in an area of 10 km². ''P. mustersi'' is known to reside in the

Paghman Paghman (Persian/Pashto: پغمان) is a town in the hills near Afghanistan's capital of Kabul. It is the seat of the Paghman District (in the western part of Kabul Province) which has a population of about 120,000 (2002 official UNHCR est.), ma ...

Mountains in Afghanistan, where it lives in fast-running waters (the adults and the eggs or larvae in calmer, deeper water) which are formed from melting glaciers. Currently, it can only be found in cold water: it has only been found in water ranging from 0 to 14 °C. The males are larger than the females, with the largest about 18 cm in length. They are not very similar to other salamander species in many respects. They may look similar to salamander species, but unlike many others, the Paghman stream salamander can feed in water, they are found under rocks in the fast running water, and even catch prey on land. They have long tongues which they use to catch prey, and the adults prefer to catch prey larger than their own size. The current population is unknown at this time, but older estimates numbered the salamanders from 1000 to 2000; quite possibly the numbers have gone down since the time of this count. They are expected to be found in the southern slopes of the

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Provinc ...

near Afghanistan. The population is declining due to the invasion of humans on their land. Irrigation systems disturb the salamanders' habitat. The more the land is being used by humans, the worse it gets for the Paghman stream salamander. To remain a part of Afghanistan's ecosystem, its habitat needs to be conserved.

References

* *IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe, 2006. ww.globalamphibians.org Global Amphibian Assessment {{Taxonbar, from=Q309207 Asiatic salamanders Endemic fauna of Afghanistan Amphibians of Afghanistan Amphibians described in 1940 Taxa named by Malcolm Arthur Smith