Molge luschani Steindachner, 1891
Mertensiella luschani – Wolterstorff, 1925
Salamandra luschani – Arnold & Burton, 1978
Lyciasalamandra luschani – Veith & Steinfartz, 2004
Luschan's salamander or Lycian salamander (Lyciasalamandra luschani) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is found in the southwestern Anatolia in Turkey and adjacent Greece, in the island of Kastellorizo and its satellites.[1][2]
Luschan's salamander is brown with small yellow dots dorsally, yellow or whitish laterally, and flesh-colored ventrally. The eyes and the narrow paratoid glands are prominent. Its tail is thin. Males have a protruding "spike" at the base of their tails on the dorsal surface. Adults may grow to 13 cm (5.1 in) in length.[3] The Luschan’s salamander is a nocturnal, land-dwelling animal, most active during the rainy or wet season, which lasts from November to April in the Mediterranean region.[4] Males and females have similar weights.[4]
Male and female L. luschani are sexually dimorphic.[4] Males can be distinguished by a protuberance near the tail absent in both females and juvenile salamanders. The females, however, have a cloaca that can be used to determine their sex. Juvenile salamanders possess neither. One study has also shown that females tended to have a larger snout to vent length on average than males, but males had a significantly larger maximum snout-vent-length in comparison.[4]
One population of the Lyciasalamandra luschani was found at the Dodurga village in southwestern Anatolia. The population was split into two types. Type 1 had a light brown dorsum, while type 2 had a light brown dorsum that is orangish. The other main differences can be seen in the upper eyelids such that they have a greenish light yellow color in type 2 salamanders. These eyelids also had a darker mid part. The type 2 specimens had dark brown spots all over them.[5] Both type 1 and type 2 specimens have visbile viscera, a wider posterior parotid gland, and an unpigmented ventral trunk. Males may sometimes exhibit a defensive posture with an arched back. It is worth noting that both type 1 and type 2 secretory adenoid glands can be found randomly distributed throughout the partoids.[6]
At least eight subspecies of Mertensiella luschani have been described: M. l.billae, M. l. fazilae, M. l. luschani, M. l. atif, M. l. finikensis, M. l. flavimembris, M. l. antalyana, and M. l. basoglui.[10] M. luschani overall was supported to be a well evidenced sister taxon to the Salamandra clade with a boot-strap of 100% and decay index of 41.[10] Scientists also described that M. l. finikensis, M. l. luschani, and M. l. basoglui seem to form a monophyletic group with a bootstrap of 100% and a decay index of 15.[10]