History and origin
The Strinati's Cave salamander was first described by Aellen in 1958, the scientific name of this species is Speleomantes strinatii. Speleomantes is from Latin and is composed of two words, the first meaning 'cave' and the second meaning 'Mantus' the god of hell. Strinatii was given because this species was dedicated to Mr Pierre Strinati.

Characteristics
They are characterised by their general unique appearance, a very long squared head, warty skin... They are only found on Corsica.

Description
=Size=
- Eggs: The eggs are about 5 to 6 mm in diameter, laid in individual balls.
- Larva: This species doesn't have a larva form.
- Juveniles: The young measure about 20 mm long.
- Adults: They measure between 115 to 130 mm long.
=Morphology=
- Eggs: The eggs are laid individual balls fixed onto humid rocks, within cracks and such like. A cordon type structure links all the 6 to 14 eggs.
- Larva: This species doesn't have a larva form.
- Adults: They are very slim and elegant salamanders, they have an oval head with prominent eyes. They have tiny paratoid glands. Their skin is very smooth. Their tail is short and bulky. Their limbs are slim and short. They lack crests, they lack webbing.
=Patterns & colours=
- Eggs: They are white or ivory coloured.
- Larva: This species doesn't have a larva form.
- Adult: They are usually dark brown with many irregular golden or light brown blotch-like patterns over the whole body. The belly is dark brown. Their eyes are dark.

Geographical range
They are only found in extreme south eastern France and in north western Italy. They have been introduced into Ariège in the French Pyrenees, a result of the Laboratoire de Moulis.

Subspecies
None described.

Sexual differences
Males have a larger head.

Seasonal variations
None.

Diet
They feed on beetles, grasshoppers, worms, slugs, spiders... cannibalism of the mother on her eggs has already been observed.

Defensive habits
Unknown.

Reproduction
Mating happens on land in mid spring. Firstly the male checks the other specimen to investigate if it is the same species and it is a female. To do this he smells and touches the females body with his head. If it is a female, he then rubs his chin along the female, the male moves on top of the female and holds her with his front legs, he then gets down, places himself in front of the female and deposits a spermatophore. The female is then guided over this and intakes the sperm for internal fertilisation, while the male moves his tail almost like a dance.

Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Speleomantes strinatii is about 17 years, they reach their sexual maturity in about four years for males and five years for females.

Habits
They are very active at night, often seen hunting in front of caves, they usually spend the day just inside the caves. When cold weather arrives, they move deeper into the caves. They can be seen by day in rainy or very humid conditions. The ideal temperature to observe this species is around 13 to 17 C.

Habitat
They live from 20 to 2000 m in altitude. They are found in limestone areas with streams, forests and caves. They however do not live far into the caves, they are often seen at the entry, and only venturing deeper to hibernate.

Predators
They are hunted by slow worms and snakes, but thanks to their altitude range and lifestyle, they are not threatened a lot.