It is one of two genera in the family to inhabit the Old World (the other being Karsenia), with the remaining 250 or so species being found in North, Central and South America.

The genus is endemic to Italy and a few nearby areas (San Marino, Monaco, and eastern Provence).

[1] European cave salamanders are found not only in caverns but on the ground among leaf litter, usually near streams, in wooded valleys.

The skin secretes toxic substances, which may deter predators, as may their habit of rolling their tail upwards.

[1] The genus contains the following species:[2] The oldest record of Speleomantes is a single vertebra from the Middle Miocene of Slovakia.