Amphibians · Caudata · Salamandridae

Sharp-ribbed Salamander

Pleurodeles waltl

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It has a defence unique among vertebrates: when threatened it pushes its own sharpened ribs forward until they pierce the skin, coated in a toxic secretion, turning them into weapons.

Weight

up to 26 g

Size

up to 30 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Freshwater

3countries 19parks13same family

Fun facts

The phenomenon is known as venomous ribs.
It is the largest newt in Europe, reaching 30 cm in total length.
It eats aquatic invertebrates, small fish, amphibians and occasionally carrion.
defensaIt can push the tips of its own ribs out through its skin in defence, coated in a toxic secretion, a mechanism unique among vertebrates.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Permanent and semi-permanent water — ponds, lakes, ditches and streams — of central and southern Iberia and Morocco
Birth weight: Hatches from the egg as an aquatic larva
Size at birth: Hatches from the egg as an aquatic larva
Sexual maturity: ~1.5 years
Gestation / incubation: ~13 days of egg incubation
Litter / clutch size: Up to several hundred eggs per clutch (as many as 725 on record)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 20 years

Sources consulted: World Species; iNaturalist; PMC (hematology reference values study); AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); bioRxiv (transcriptome resource study)