In the north of its range it is more variable in colour and sometimes hybridises with Ambrosi's cave salamander (Speleomantes ambrosii).

It is found in wooded valleys, on rocky outcrops and in caves and underground waters, often in limestone areas, at altitudes of up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level.

[1] An introduced population of this salamander exists in an abandoned quarry in a beech forest near Holzminden, Germany.

The female lays a small clutch of eggs in a crevice and these hatch by direct development into miniature salamanders.

This is on the basis that, although it is common over much of its range, its total extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) and suitable habitat may be declining locally.