Salamanders are raised easily in captivity and make great pets. They live mainly in the Northern Hemisphere including Europe, Central and Northern Asia, Northwest Africa, North America, and Mexico. There are even some specialized species that live entirely in subterran ean waters, trees, or rocks. They retain their tail even after metamorphosis from their larval stage. Caudates live from sea level to around 4,500 meters, or 14,700 feet, where there is sufficient humidity for at least part of the year.
Most salamanders have four limbs.
The American sirenids, which are aquatic salamanders, have only hind limbs. Salamanders are sometimes referred to as lizards without scales. If they did have scales, they could easily be mistaken for lizards because of their body shape. All of the aquatic species have a tail that is laterally compressed and which is often crested. The land dwellers have a rounded or only slightly compressed tail.