Project profile
Project: Monitoring threatened Sardinian cave salamanders
Acronym: Sardinian Cave Salamanders Monitoring
Period: 2023-2025
Status: Ongoing / completion phase
The project
The project aims to develop an improved and effective monitoring protocol for Speleomantes sarrabusensis, classified as Critically Endangered, and for other threatened Sardinian cave salamanders, including Speleomantes supramontis and Speleomantes flavus.
Sardinian cave salamanders are endemic amphibians restricted to isolated mountain areas, where they use subterranean habitats for breeding and sheltering, while also exploiting forest and Mediterranean maquis habitats during favourable periods. Despite their conservation relevance, several aspects of their ecology remain poorly known, especially their epigean activity outside caves.
The project includes field surveys under suitable seasonal and meteorological conditions, using repeated linear transects to estimate distribution, detectability, abundance and ecological requirements. The collected data will support site occupancy models and N-mixture models, contributing to a long-term monitoring protocol and future conservation planning.
Beyond caves
The name “cave salamanders” highlights their association with subterranean environments, but caves represent only part of the habitats that need attention. Rocky outcrops, screes, crevices, wooded slopes and Mediterranean shrubland can provide shelter and suitable conditions for surface activity. Focusing exclusively on caves risks overlooking an important component of these species’ distribution and ecology.
This is particularly relevant to Speleomantes sarrabusensis, which inhabits the predominantly granitic, largely cave-less Sette Fratelli area. For S. flavus, endemic to Monte Albo, and S. supramontis, occurring in the Supramonte and Gulf of Orosei area, attention to surface environments complements research on caves and subterranean refuges.
Distinguishing absence from non-detection
Surface activity depends on seasonal and weather conditions. Failing to observe animals during one visit does not demonstrate absence. Repeated transects and environmental records help interpret counts and, where possible, distinguish variation in detectability from differences in occurrence or abundance.
From monitoring to habitat conservation
Identifying refuges and the conditions associated with salamander occurrence can inform the management of rocky and forested habitats. Maintaining vegetation cover and humid refuges is particularly relevant in the face of drought, fire, woodland alteration and local disturbance. Fieldwork also requires precautions to reduce the risk of moving pathogens between sites.
Monitoring therefore has an applied purpose: recognising important habitats outside caves and providing evidence to assess their vulnerability and conservation requirements over time.
Objectives
- Clarify the actual distribution of the target species.
- Estimate detectability and abundance in epigean habitats.
- Identify ecological and environmental requirements.
- Fill knowledge gaps on activity outside caves.
- Develop a long-term monitoring protocol.
- Support risk assessments and conservation actions.
Methods
- Selection of survey sites.
- Repeated linear transects.
- Seasonal surveys under favourable weather conditions.
- Occupancy models.
- N-mixture models.
- Demographic and spatial analyses.
Target species
- Speleomantes sarrabusensis
- Speleomantes supramontis
- Speleomantes flavus
Geographic area
Sardinia, Italy:
- Monte dei Sette Fratelli
- Supramonte / Gulf of Orosei
- Monte Albo
Team and collaborations
- Leonardo Vignoli
- Fabrizio Calò
- Pierluigi Bombi
- Paolo Casula
Partners
- Roma Tre University
- CNR
- Regional Forestry Agency for Land and Environmental Development of Sardinia (FoReSTAS)
Funding
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
Keywords
- Speleomantes
- Sardinian cave salamanders
- amphibian conservation
- monitoring protocol
- occupancy models
- N-mixture models
- epigean activity
- endangered amphibians
Publications
- Vignoli L., Caldera F. & Bologna M.A. (2006). Trophic niche of cave populations of Speleomantes italicus. Journal of Natural History.
- Vignoli L., Caldera F. & Bologna M.A. (2008). Spatial niche of Speleomantes italicus in a subterranean system of Central Italy. Italian Journal of Zoology.
Gallery
Images from the project
1 photos