Lanza’s Alpine Salamander Salamandra lanzai

Salamandra lanzai is endemic of a small area of the Alps, between NW Italy and E France, and lives at altitudes of 1200–2650 m. This salamander is viviparous, and individuals are active at the surface from late spring until early autumn, mostly at night and during humid periods²⁶. The study was performed at the Pian del Re area (approx. 44.70°N, 7.10°E; altitude: 2000–2150 m; Fig. 1), which is an alpine meadow with multiple small streams, and is the type locality of S. lanzai.

Capture-mark-recapture data were obtained from previously published studies performed in 1992–2003, which sampled a surface of approx. 41,000 m² (Fig. 1 ^27,42). Repeated counts. We defined 28 rectangular (20 × 10 m) plots, across the whole Pian del Re. Each plot was surveyed by a 6–8 people team, actively searching and counting all the salamanders at the surface for 10–15 min. Plots were surveyed 2–3 times (average: 2.3 surveys per plot) in the period 16–19 August 2015 after dusk, between 9.00 pm and 1.00 am. We positioned the 28 plots performed in 2015 as follows: eight were inside the study area where Andreone et al. (refs^27,42) performed their CMR study, 17 were nearby the Andreone et al. (refs^27,42) study area (<250 m from the area), and three were 500–750 apart (Fig. 1).