''Salamandrina'', the spectacled salamanders, is a genus 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 ...
, the only of subfamily Salamandrininae in the family
Salamandridae
Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin. Their skin is v ...
which is still alive, as one of its own relatives is extinct. The IUCN Red List follows Mattoccia et al. (2005) and Canestrelli et al. (2006) in accepting two species, both only found in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
:
* Southern spectacled salamander (''
Salamandrina terdigitata
The spectacled salamander (''Salamandrina terdigitata'') is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae.
This species is found only in the southern Apennine Range in Italy in humid valleys and shady, overgrown hillsides at altitudes bet ...
'')
* Northern spectacled salamander (''
Salamandrina perspicillata
''Salamandrina perspicillata'', the northern spectacled salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found only in Italy.
The IUCN Red List follows Mattoccia et al. (2005) and Canestrelli et al. (2006) in separating ''Salam ...
'')
DNA testing is the most effective way to distinguish between S. ''terdigitata'' and S. ''perspicillata,'' however there is a some slight morphological differences between the two species. S. ''terdigitata'' is on average 1 cm shorter than S. ''Perspicillata'' as well as having more extensive red coloration on its Vental side.
Fossils show that the genus formerly had a wider distribution during the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...