 Precious Natural Product Registered by Kyoto Prefecture
 Modern Times
| The Abe-salamander is a batrachian (Kasumi-salamander genus, salamander family, salamander order). It was first found by an elementary schooler in Zennoji, Chozen village, Naka-gun, Kyoto Prefecture in 1932. It was designated as a new species by Dr. Sato of Hiroshima Bunri University (the present Hiroshima University) and was named Abe-salamander (scientific name: Hynobius abei) after his respected teacher, Abe, in 1934.
Abe-salamanders have been found only in ten spots around the Tango Peninsula, including the district of Zennoji, Omiya-cho. The distribution range of this creature is the smallest of that of all small salamanders indigenous to Japan, and the number of them is also smallest. The body length of an Abe-salamander is 12-18cm, and it has a dark brown back with fimbriae, a blue-gray belly with sky-blue spots, a forefoot with four toes and a rearfoot with five toes. Generally, males are much bigger than females and the male tail is thicker than the female's. They are very cautious, and they avoid the sunlight and live on insects. Abe-salamanders move to live under water in winter which is an egg-laying season for them. One male mates with more than one female. A female lays an egg case containing 70 to 80 eggs, of which few survive.
Salamander tadpoles, which hatch some time between mid January and late February, get forelegs first. They have branchial respiration for a while until they metamorphose to be able to have pulmonary respiration and move to live on land. Whether they hibernate or not, how long they live, or how old they can have reproduction ability is unknown. The Japanese name of this salamander is internationally known, which is unusual. Abe-salamander is on the "Red Databook" list of domestic species, designated by the Environment Agency as in danger of extinction.
Source: The Omiya-cho municipal government |
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