Kovar, R., M. Brabec, P. Moravec & T. Husak

Fire Salamander, Salamandra salamandra, niche selection in Central European conditions. pp. 129-146.

Abstract. We analyzed data from 3,546 occurrence records of Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) from the territory of the Czech Republic where it has a heterogeneous distribution pattern. Its occurrence in terrestrial habitats adjacent to breeding streams is characterized by a mean distance of 103 m, maximum 1,321 m, from the nearest stream. Based on a logistic GLM (generalized linear model) analysis we determined the Fire Salamanders’ climatic and habitat associations at landscape scale in the Czech Republic. The main limiting factors for its dispersal include the proximity of small shallow streams in rolling landscapes, the pH of these streams, the presence of broad-leaf or mixed forests, humidity, solar irradiation, and severity of winters. While the absence of suitable breeding habitats is the main limiting factor for their occurrence in more expansive lowlands, factors such as lower temperatures, lower humidity, and the absence of broad-leaf and mixed forests begin to play a role with increasing altitude. Unlike cold temperatures, low amounts of precipitation and higher temperatures do not act as limiters in the Czech Republic. Fire Salamanders respond to the colder climate of higher altitudes with intensified summer activity and the purely bimodal nature of their activity (with spring and autumn peaks) tends to fade at higher altitudes.

Key words. Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae, climate preferences, habitat preferences, logistic regression, niche modelling.