Persian brook salamander
species of amphibian
The Persian brook salamander or Persian mountain salamander (Paradactylodon persicus) is an endemic amphibian species of salamander in the family Hynobiidae found in Iran and possibly Azerbaijan.
Description
Adults have 4 fingers and toes, are darkly colored with scattered yellow spots and have rectangular heads and rounded tails oftentimes longer than the rest of their body. Larvae have large rounded triangular heads with short fin-like tails roughly shorter than the rest of their body and are generally light yellow without any distinct spots. The juveniles complexion darkens and develops mottled yellow spots while their head become more rectangular, and their tails become longer and more rounded. Larvae and juveniles sizes are roughly the same ranging from 4-10 cm while the larger adults commonly range from 15-20 cm. The total length of the longest specimen was 26.85cm. Larvae have external gills that suit their solely aquatic habitats while adults replace these with lungs as they mature.
Taxonomy
Phylogenetic analysis has indicated that populations of the former Paradactylodon gorganensis are contained within this species.
Distribution & habitat
The only known populations of this species inhabit the temperate rainforest region along the southwestern tip of the Caspian Sea in Iran. This species is also believed to inhabit parts of Azerbaijan where the temperate rainforest that these salamanders are known to inhabit reaches north however no definitive sightings have been verified.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Persian brook salamander” is species of amphibian. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Persian, brook and salamander, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of amphibian” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2382547. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Persian brook salamander”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Persian brook salamander primary sources, Persian brook salamander archive and Persian research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Persian brook salamander”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Persian brook salamander” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.