A spotted salamander, which is under danger of extinction, has been found by a local in the eastern province of Malatya’s Yeşiltyurt district.
Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks Malatya Provincial Director Abdullah Koç said the spotted salamander had been found by a local and delivered to them.
He said the animal was a rarely seen species in Eastern Anatolia, adding, “This is an endangered species. We have found out the existence of this species in our previous biological diversity work. It is known that it mostly exists on Kubbe Mount, in the Arapgir and Kubbe districts.”
He said the spotted salamander was 14-19 centimeters long and had yellow spots. “It eats worms, bugs and larva. It lives in rocks and stones in watersides. We ask our people to bring them to our provincial directorates when they find them. Then they will contribute to their survival,” Koç said, adding that they would put the spotted salamander back in the wild.
The spotted salamander’s main color is black, but can sometimes be a blueish-black, dark grey, dark green or even dark brown. Two uneven rows of yellowish-orange spots run from the top of its head to the tip of its tail.
The underside of the spotted salamander is slate gray and pink.
